Time's Tangent
by LotornoMiko
Summary: After experiencing a head on attack by a robeast's deadly beam, Allura comes through the smoke to a whole new other reality. Can she make it back to her own, and will she even want to? Lotor Allura pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer time! I don't own Voltron or it's characters. That honor belongs to World Events Production. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes. No money is being made off of this fic, and no copyright infringement is intended.

----Michelle

The alarms were blaring throughout the castle, each ringing of them alerting all within it's range that danger was approaching. It called her into action, Allura abandoning her conversation with her maids in mid sentence, the girl bolting towards the nearest staircase. She wasn't the only one in a hurry, she could see the various soldiers that were stationed within her home making a mad dash towards those same stairs.

Others were moving higher into the castle, the men and women ready to take up position on the castle turrets, to work the assault weaponry in defense of the castle. Those not in military uniform prepared for the castle to go in lock down, no one would be leaving so long as enemy ships were in the sky.

Allura sighed as she ran, clearing the final steps of the staircase. It was turning out to be another typical day on Arus, beautiful weather that was marred with deadly malice as threat of an invasion drew near. She didn't need to look out a window to know who was behind the threat, who was ALWAYS attempting to take over her world. It left her wondering if King Zarkon would ever get tired of these attempts, even as she realized that no, he would not, not so long as he was still alive.

The alarms continued to ring, so loud they blocked out the sound of her footsteps. The sound grated on her ears, aggravating Allura for more than one reason. Sometimes she woke up at night to these alarms ringing in her ears, Zarkon's forces not one to care about the late time of night before attacking. When they weren't dealing with Doom's assault, she was often practicing her pilot skills, doing drills at all hours of the day. Somehow she managed to fit in time to be a princess, though her royal duties were limited, her advisor Coran often overseeing things in her place.

She could picture the advisor in her mind, the mustached man surely hurrying towards the command center just like she was. Ever vigilant, Coran would be taking up position before the great computer, already raising the platform that revealed the chutes that led to Arus key defense systems. The lions of Voltron. Allura prayed she would be good enough today, that she would exceed everyone's expectations, not only surviving the upcoming battles, but helping to win them.

Her planet and people deserved nothing less than her best, Allura understanding she was the weakest link of the five pilots who rode the lions. Sometimes she thought that perhaps she should resign from her pilot position. But she was too greedy for the freedom it gave her to do more than quietly contemplate such an act.

The door to the command center was in view, already opening, beckoning her onwards. She could see the lights of the computers flickering, and spy the large view screen that wasn't completely blocked out by the raised computer platform. On it were the ships of Doom, the would be conquerors filling the sky with their beetle black ships, vehicles that bore stark red emblems that looked like blood splattered on their metallic hides.

Standing by the chutes, clad in a less gruesome shade of red, was a young man. Keith was almost always the first to arrive in the command center, as though he had an intuitive sense of the attacks before they happened. Even now she could see he was tapping his foot impatiently, the captain of the five pilots eager to get them into their lions.

She put on a burst of speed, determined not to be the last to arrive, and made it just before the diminutive Pidge, and the larger man known as Hunk came huffing in behind her. Lance was there already, hands on his hips as he glared at the view screen.

"Doesn't Lotor ever take a day off?" He demanded, naming King Zarkon's son.

"He disappears only long enough to bring back reinforcements." Answered Keith, fixing Lance with a chiding look. "You already know that Lance."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Lance shrugged him off. "Still it would be nice if nice if he got sick or something, maybe some deadly disease he could pass on to his father."

"If only we were so lucky." Keith sighed, and Pidge began to rattle off the chances of that happening.

"Save the statistics for some other time, little buddy." Hunk interrupted the bespectacled youth. "We got some butt kicking to do."

"Coran." Allura spoke up, wanting to turn away from the view screen, yet staring in horror as Drule ship's rained down laser fire on one of her villages. "They haven't unleashed a robeast yet...what are they waiting for?"

"I don't know princess." The advisor admitted. "And we don't have the time to speculate! They've already set half of that town on fire, and many people are trapped. You five must hurry to the village, put out the fires if you can, and save as many people as possible."

"Got it." Keith said, and jerked a thumb at the launch chutes. "Let's go team."

"Right!" Came the chorusing answer, the group of five running to their respective chutes. Allura launched herself forward, not hesitating as she lunged for the swing that would lower her down the chute. It was a long drop, but she held on bravely, hands long used to holding on for that period of time. As she went lower, she saw an opening beneath her, metal pulling apart to admit her body down into a transport ship.

The ship was small, holding just enough room for one person. She had no need to control it, it was already gliding forward down a tunnel, lights flickering all across the dashboard. The ride was shorter than it was for some of the other pilots, her lion located within walking distance of the castle. But no amount of walking would allow her to access her lion from outside, not when it was buried deep beneath the castle's moat.

The stone tunnel gave way to a tubing that allowed her to see the water all around her, and then the transport was stopping. The roof opened up, and her seat ascended upwards, Allura gripping the armrests as she was lifted up inside blue lion. A loud thump was heard, the seat locking into place before the lion's dashboard console. She began to prep it for start up, fingers flying over the console, and then she was pulling her pilot's key off her uniform.

Placing it into the appropriate spot, the lion roared into life, Allura guiding it to fly up out of the water. Keith appeared in black lion, almost instantaneously by her side. The other three lions were further away from the castle, and would meet them there at the village.

"Follow me princess!" Keith's voice came over her radio, and she voiced her agreement. With a bit of jet propulsion, black lion was taking off, the larger vehicle easy to follow.

Their trip towards the village was interrupted by Doom's star cutters, the fighter ships flying through the sky towards them. "Keith!" She cried out in warning.

"I see them princess." His tone was grim as he answered, his tail blaster already shooting lasers at the attacking ships. She joined him in fighting, sending out pulse beams and ionized energy waves at the star cutters.

Not all their attacks hit, the star cutters dropping down to avoid the lasers. Some looped around behind them, Allura quickly raising her shields, trying to protect both her front and rear as her lion and black lion were sandwiched in between the enemy. The shields took the brunt of the attacks, but it would flicker oocasionaly, revealing that it was weakening under the assault.

"We don't have time for this!" Allura cried out, frustrated with the delay, and wanting to get to the village and save the people.

"Just be patience princess." Advised Keith, still firing off his attacks. "If you rush, you'll make a mistake we can't afford."

She sighed, Allura biting back an angry retort. Instead she focused on the ships, one was near enough that she landed on it's back. With a roar of her lion's voice, she had it's powerful jaws clamp down on a wing. Her lion's claws were already digging open the roof of the star cutter, exposing wires to it's sharp nails. She brought the ship to a crashing halt, ripping out the wires the pilot need to maintain control.

As the damaged wires sparked and exploded into flames, she leapt off the back of the ship, twisting in mid air to shoot at the star cutters that were on her and Keith's rear. Black Lion was taking out the ships ahead of them, one after another, but it was taking too long. Allura felt every minute, moaning to herself about the potential lives lost at their delay.

"This is taking too long!" She said to herself, and a voice answered her over the air waves.

"Here we are, the Calvary riding to the rescue!" Lance's laughing voice exclaimed. She nearly wilted in relief, spying red lion spewing flames as it charged towards their attackers. Green lion wasn't too far behind, Pidge waiting to get in close before unleashing it's wind fueled attacks. Only Hunk was nowhere to be found, the desert where his lion lay located the furthest from the castle.

"About time too!" Keith snapped, voice sounding strained. "You deal with these guys, I'll escort Allura to the village."

"Right!" Pidge said, and Lance echoed his agreement.

"We'll get you an opening, don't you worry!"

"Thanks Lance, Pidge." A grateful Allura said. She continued to fight, watching as Pidge summoned a curved blade to green lion's mouth. It glowed bright with energy for a moment, before turning to sharp tipped metal. Red lion and green lion were the smallest of the five ships, but no less deadly. Pidge guided his lion forward, and the blade in it's mouth cut open the sides of a ship, his claws hooking into the exposed wires and pulling.

Lance's lion was in command of the fire element, and it showed this now in the way it spewed flames, setting several ships on fire. They soon exploded in the sky, and sometimes Drule pilots ejected just before the ship was destroyed. But more often than not they died with their ships, leaving Allura torn on whether to mourn the loss of life or not.

It took several more minutes, but soon a space was open between the star cutters. Black lion immediately flew forward, Keith ordering Allura to stick close to him. She nodded and guided her lion behind him, practically riding on his tail as they hurried to clear the space before it was closed by the star cutters. Black lion continued to fire beams form it's eyes, exploding ships that drew too close.

Of course several ships pulled away from red and green lion, intending to give chase to the two escaping lions. Allura could see her shield's defenses rapidly dropping from the assault, she let out a worried moan. "Keith, my shield is down by twenty-five percent!"

"If it drops down another ten percent, start diverting power from your weapons systems!" The captain advised. "You have to hang in there long enough to put out the fires, and form Voltron!"

"Understood." She answered, and concentrated on avoiding as many attacks as she could. She heard a roar, and realized yellow lion had appeared, Hunk guiding it behind her to cover Allura's back as best he could.

"Don't worry princess, I got you covered!" The loyal friend said, and she smiled gratefully at the sound of his voice.

"Thanks Hunk!"

Sandwiched in between black and yellow lion, she soon arrived at the burning town. Chaos reigned in it's streets, the people were panicking and rightfully so. Some of their homes had already collapsed, the fire having made the building unstable. People were trapped, not only in the burning buildings, but also on the streets by the rubble of the broken buildings.

"How horrible..." Allura whispered, even as she prepared her lion's water cannon. She didn't know where to start first, looking around for a target. She spied people trapped by the burning rubble, and began spraying her water cannon in that direction.

"Hunk!" Keith's voice cut into the silence over the airwaves. "Over to your right....there are people about to jump!"

Allura gasped at the captain's words, glancing in the direction of yellow lion. She spied a cluster of people grouped together on the top of a burning building. She didn't understand how they had ended up on the roof, but realized at this height they would surely die if they gave in to the impulse to jump. But the flames were licking higher and higher on the building, the structure itself seeming to sway.

"That buildings going to go down at any second!" Allura realized, then screamed when she saw a man jump off the building.

"I got him!" Hunk shouted, diving his lion forward to be under the falling man. Allura breathed a sigh of relief, watching as yellow lion hovered next to the building's roof, allowing the other people to scramble on.

It was just seconds later that the building gave in, collapsing in a cloud of dust as yellow lion carried the people to safety away from the town. Allura continued to fire her water cannon, and black lion concentrated on fighting off the ships that harassed the town and it's people. Yellow lion would soon return to the town, aiding Keith in his battle, but also pausing to gather up more villagers to take them away.

Allura wondered if anywhere would be safe enough on her planet, watching as more buildings collapsed. The lions weren't always quick enough, some people died that day, others gravely injured. But still she couldn't take the time to be properly horrified, Allura almost mechanical as she worked on putting out the fires.

It was about a half n hour later that red and green lion arrived at the town, Lance having to be careful with his fire attacks so as not to add to the village's problems. Hunk poured sand on some of the fires, trying to smother them out that way. They were just beginning to make a difference in the fires, when a coffin landed in the middle of the village.

Allura heard Lance let out one expletive after another, the girl spraying water on one last building before Keith called out the command to regroup. She regretfully hurried away from the burning buildings to get into the circle of protection of the other lions.

"Get ready for it!" Keith called out.

"It's one of Haggar's robeast!" Pidge exclaimed, even as a beam hit the coffin from the overhead flag ship of the Drule fleet. They watched as the coffin exploded, stray splinters flying through the air. The cause for the explosion was soon apparent, the monster inside growing to gigantic proportions. It was a pinkish purple in color, with ugly gray veins covering most of it's body. It wielded a a chain that had a spiked ball on one end, and what looked like a cannon was strapped to it's arm.

"Haggar's latest experiment is packing deadly explosives on that arm!" cried out Pidge, the youth having scanned the robeast.

"Okay team, avoid that cannon blast no matter what!" Keith ordered.

"Right!" came the answer, the lions flying forward to meet the robeast. But this point the Drule ships had all pulled back, their enemies content to watch the show. The robeast screamed, sounding angry, and began twirling it's spiked ball over it's head. Hunk cried out when the spikes caught the underside of yellow lion's belly, something

tearing open.

It didn't disable yellow lion completely, the lion hovering uncertainly in the air. "Stay back Hunk, until we need you!" Came Keith's command, Hunk sputtering out a weak protest.

"I can still fight!"

"Damn it Hunk, if you take any more damage, you may not be able to form Voltron! Stand down!" Keith snapped, sounding angry.

Red lion and green lion chose to tag team the robeast, firing missiles at it's front, and swooping down low to slash their claws across it's legs. It screamed and turned to follow them, dripping blood on the floor of the town. With it's back exposed to them, black lion and blue lion opened fire, shooting everything they had into it's rear. The robeast quickly spun around, lashing out with its chain wielding arm towards them.

They went to evade, the ball crashing into a building. Allura flew to the right of the robeast, Keith taking up position on it's left. The robeast turned to track blue lion, raising it's cannon bearing arm in her direction.

"Princess, watch out!" screamed Pidge in warning.

"I see it Pidge!" Allura said, already moving to evade the blast. The robeast turned to follow her, ignoring the others for the moment, firing blast after blast. She just barely managed to avoid the hits, soon meeting up with Keith's lion and dodging them together with him. Red lion suddenly roared, Lance driving it to crash into the robeast's back.

Several things happened at once. The spiked ball crashed to the ground, crushing rubble beneath it into dust. Green lion sunk it's teeth into the left shoulder of the robeast, and black lion fired a pulse beam. But the worst, most damaging thing was the instant red lion struck it, it managed to fire off another shot from it's cannon. Allura had been managing to evade the attacks just fine, when the shot went off center, moving towards her front. She couldn't dodge in time, Allura screaming as she saw the blast speed towards her lion.

Frantically, she began diverting all her power to her shields, praying it would be enough. The blast hit her head on, flames and smoke erupting all around her. Her lion rocked from the force of the attack, she fell forward, smashing her forehead into the dashboard. Her helmet protected her from the worst of it, though she still earned a cut above her right eye, blood dripping down and forcing her to keep that eye closed.

The smoke was a thick, almost black color, with only the flames adding color to the darkness around her. Her radio buzzed an annoying noise, she frantically began pushing buttons, trying to contact Keith and the other pilots. No voices answered, her radio seemed disabled. Allura bit back her own curse, well aware her own lion was sparking dangerously.

"I have to get out of this smoke!" She realized, too shocked to be grateful she was still alive. Allura began speeding forward, but the smoke seemed endless, obscuring her vision and making her worry. She had the stray thought that if her sensors weren't working, she'd fly right into danger, or crash into something solid. It made her fly more slowly, Allura trying to get her bearings.

"As soon as I get out of this, we're forming Voltron." She decided, wishing they had done that from the start. She was rattled to the nerves, shocked by her close call, and not looking forward to the shouting match her Nanny would unleash once she returned to the castle.

With a pained moan, she moved forward, and after what seemed like an eternity, she cleared the smoke and arrived to blue lit skies that were empty of all ships. She blinked, confused, not understanding what had happened to her comrades and the enemy ships. Or where the robeast was. She did a quick scan of her surroundings, and gasped anew, staring shocked at the sprawling CITY beneath her.

The village had been small, a rural farm town that hadn't had much in the way of advancement. This city was huge, with sky reaching towers of buildings, all looking sleek and futuristic. Instead of the typical horse and carriage transports, there were hovering cruisers crowding in the streets below. People were on the sidewalks, many of them pausing to point up at her lion.

Allura didn't understand, knowing there was nothing like this city on Arus. She tore away from the city, trying to find something familiar. Her locator device was offline, she had no way of knowing where she was or what was going on. But she soon came across a forest, and though it was a lot smaller than she remembered, it was the emerald woods that had bordered her home.

The castle of lions stood surrounded by woods on one side, and the lake on the other. She felt relief to see it there, even as she noticed it too was odd. It looked cleaner than she ever remembered seeing it, no hints of battle scarring it's white ivory. But more than that, it's white and blue banners had been replaced, black and red furled to drape over the sides.

Allura shivered to see those colors, knowing so long as she and Coran were around no one would dare cover the castle in planet Doom's colors. Just what was going on? She had no answers, and even more questions when a voice broke in over her radio, the words a guttural growl. Was the Drule that was being spoken? Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, Allura struggling to remember the smattering of Drule she had learned through her fighting with Doom.

The words repeated, Allura sure they were asking if she was the enemy. She frowned, choosing to remain silent, which only angered the voice. Suddenly blips on her radar screen appeared, ships being launched from the castle. They were as black as any Drule ship she had ever seen, and she frantically tried to avoid their attacks, knowing her shields had been dropped down to only 10 percent after that last hit by the robeast's cannon attack.

Scrambling frantically, her weapons refusing to work, Allura began concentrating all her efforts on evasion maneuvers. She didn't know how long she could last, and she was immensely relieved when four new blips appeared on her radar, heralding the arrival of the lions. Never had she been so grateful to see Keith and the others than she was now, Allura smiling, thinking they would form Voltorn now.

Her relief lasted only a moment as the lions opened fire on her, her unprotected back bearing the worse of the damage. Allura screamed as her lion spiraled out of control, voices shouting at her in Drule over the airwaves. She tried her best to slow her forced descent, but there was no stopping the damaged lion. Another scream escaped her as she slammed into the courtyard of the castle, Allura's head hitting the dashboard once more.

She had time to moan out her pain, struggling to hold onto consciousness, as the lions landed around her. The four boxed her in, and she could only whisper why in confusion. Black lion's roof hatch opened, and she saw a figure clad in white and red climb out. But it was no black haired human who stood on top of black lion, but a gray skin colored Drule that stood glaring at her lion.

Sure this was nothing more than a bad dream, Allura gave in to the impulse to pass out, her head pounding in protest.

* * *

To Be Continued!

Michelle


	2. Chapter 2

It was to the splash of cold water hitting her in the face that Allura awoke, the girl regaining consciousness with a startled gasp. She swore some of the water was sucked in through her nostrils, leaving her to cough in a choking matter. The water was in her eyes too, Allura blinking rapidly and shaking her head, realizing in that instant her helmet had been removed.

Confused and disorientated, she became aware that the water had splashed a generous amount across the upper portion of her chest too, leaving her to shiver as the wet Lycra clung to her skin. There was sounds amidst her coughing, male voices, someone laughing at her. The others were talking quietly, but in that odd, guttural grunting that the Drules used.

DRULES! She immediately stiffened, giving one last shake of her head to clear the water from her face. To Allura's horror, she realized she was surrounded by Drules, a mixture of blue and gray skinned colored men. There was only one other woman among them, a pale lavender female that would have been pretty if not for the starkness of her stern features.

All of the gathered Drules were dressed in matching outfits, black uniforms that held blood red accents on their jackets and seams of their pants. None of them wore medals, these were low level grunts, soldiers who hadn't advanced very far in their military career. Allura didn't know what it meant that she was not dealing with someone more high ranking, the girl wondering when or if Prince Lotor himself would show up.

She cautiously scanned the front of the room, noting it looked strangely familiar to her. She couldn't place why, but couldn't shake the odd sense that she had been here before. The door was locked, barring her view of what lay beyond this room, and Allura had a sinking suspicion that there would be more Drule soldiers waiting outside it.

She knew then that would not be her way out of this room, not if she wanted to make a break for it. Allura nearly laughed at the thought, wondering how she could hope to fight past this group of Drules to get to freedom. Especially with her hands chained behind her back, Allura sitting in an uncomfortable metal chair.

The Drule female was studying her intently, Allura turning her gaze back in that woman's direction. Suddenly the woman reached into the pocket of her jacket, Allura's eyes widening as she saw her lion's key dangling between long fingers. Allura had to bite back her first retort, the girl wanting to angrily demand her key back and realizing how pointless that was.

Still, whatever showed on her face got the Drules to react in an excited manner, the men speaking loudly in a speculative way. The woman did not quite smile, stepping close to Allura the key extended towards her face. The woman opened her mouth to speak, and the words were just as foreign and unintelligible as anything Allura had heard spoken all day.

"I'm sorry..." Allura said with a shake of her hand. "I don't understand you. I don't understand any of this...." That earned her a frown from the woman, the female's eyes narrowing as she growled out things out in Drule. Allura could only shake her head no again and again, speaking in Arusian, begging them to bring an interpreter. "Please...I don't understand...the language! Find someone who can speak my language."

This went on for several more minutes, Allura and the woman talking to each other, the princess growing more and more anxious with each passing second. The female Drule was no better, she was practically snarling now, seeming frustrated. That frustration was mirrored in the male soldiers, and one of them moved, suddenly snatching the key out of the Drule female's hand.

With an angry growl, and a nasty glower on his face, he shoved the key in Allura's face, shaking it frantically. Allura leaned back in her seat to avoid having the key scrap across her cheek's skin, her blue eyes wide with fright. "I told you I don't understand!" She shrieked, and the man seemed ready to slap her.

He was stopped by the woman, her fingers curling around his raised hand. She gave a curt word, and the man turned to glare at the female soldier, eyes flashing with anger. Whatever he said to her, had the woman biting back a retort just as angry as his, a fight breaking out between them.

Eventually the woman seemed to win the argument, snatching the key back and replacing it in her pocket. The man still glared, his eyes holding a threat in them even as he slunk off to stand with the other Drules. For a moment Allura was ignored, the lavender colored Drule turning to her comrades, the princess wondering if they were her underlings.

She spoke urgently to them, the men answering, several shrugging and looking apologetic or disgruntled. The Drule female seemed to sigh, rasing fingers to her head to rub at her temples. She continued to speak, and finally one of them said something hesitantly. The Drule female pursed her lips together in disapproval, but nodded, shoulders seeming to sag in defeat.

The man who has spoken saluted her, and then hurried from the room, Allura catching her first sight of the area beyond the closed door. And what a sight it was, the girl reeling back as she reacted in recognition. It was the basement of the Castle of Lions, though some of it was different from what she remembered. No longer merely rooms for storage, they had been converted into holding cells.

That left her frowning anew, for Allura knew that the castle had never had need of a dungeon before this. She didn't understand anymore than she had since flying through that smoky explosion, Allura positive she was having a very weird dream.

The door was closed again, the woman stepping into Allura's line of view. She still wore a displeased frown, and now she placed her hands on her hips. Another smattering of words erupted out of her, Allura just shrugging tiredly. She was no closer to understanding then before, not recognizing any of the Drule words spoken to her. The woman sighed again, and seemed to realize how pointless this all was. She paced away from Allura, to lean against the side wall, arms crossed over her chest.

The men were talking again, eyeing her, and one walked over to the small metal table she hadn't noticed before. Her uniform's belt and helmet lay on the table, her blaster out in the open but it's charge had been removed. The Drule picked up the blaster, testing the weight of it in his hands, grunting out a comment that excited the other males. Several came forward to study the blaster, one touching a finger reverently to the metal.

Another comment was made, the man looking awed, and then a squabble broke out. She realized with a start they were fighting over her weapon, though she couldn't understand why. The female Drule let this go on for a few seconds, and then was barking out a sharp toned word. Almost guiltily, the men stopped, the one Drule placing the blaster back on the table.

He then picked up what she assumed was documents, approaching Allura's chair. He turned it around, and she realized with a start it was pictures of Blue Lion, Allura making an excited sound. The female soldier said something, Allura getting the impression she was telling the man not to bother. But he pressed on, flipping through the pictures, showing Allura images of her lion being opened, of her body being carried out by the gray skin Drule in Keith's uniform.

"What is that?" Allura demanded. "Why is that man in Keith's uniform?! Why were Drules piloting the lions! Why are Drules inside the castle?! What is going on?!" She was so desperate for answers, and getting none, Allura growing more frustrated than scared. "I'm wasting my breath, aren't I? You don't understand me anymore than I understand you."

She seemed to sag in place, her head bowed in defeat. The man spoke to her a little more, but walked away disappointed, the pictures being returned to the table. She noticed then her communicator was also on the table, that tiny device ignored for the moment. Allura began to wonder if she'd have a chance to use it, if she'd be able to summon help that way.

Or if not, would she have to remain here, forced to wait until the Voltron force came to her rescue yet again? She didn't like the thought of playing damsel in distress for the umpteenth time, but Allura also realized she didn't have much choice in the matter. There was simply no way she could overpower the Drules on her own!

With her head bowed, Allura let the time pass, drowning out the sound of the Drules talking with her own worried thoughts. She almost missed it when a change came over them, the Drules voices dying down to a murmured hush as they turned expectantly to the door. Only the female soldier remained nonchalant, leaning against the wall with a disgusted curl of her lips.

The door unlocked, and the soldier who had left entered, but not alone. Following on his heels was a much taller Drule, with off white colored hair that looked almost dirty in the wrong light. His dull yellow eyes flashed, the black slant narrowed out to thin points that almost left him looking blind. His skin was a blue color, and he was dressed far differently from the last time she had seen him.

Where once he wore ragged clothes beneath thick armor, now he was dressed elegantly, in a neatly pressed suit, and draping blood red cloak. His arm swept aside the cloak, flashing a glimpse of his medal covered chest. The medals spoke of his various accomplishments, Allura amazed to see so decorated a soldier. But he was no ordinary soldier, Allura let out a terrified exclamation.

"Cossack the terrible!"

That earned a multitude of reactions, several of the Drules turning to gape at her. The female soldier had pushed away from the wall, a question in her cold eyes as she looked at Allura. But it was Cossack who reacted, speaking in Drule. Whatever he said he the others laughing, though the sound was uncertain.

He continued to speak, striding forward, his cloak slipping off. A soldier hurried to catch it before it could hit the floor, the Drule coming not to Allura but to the female soldier. They looked at each other, and a tension that was previously not in the room crackled to life. The Drule female looked absolutely livid at whatever Cossack was saying, her eyes showed her seething hatred of the man.

Cossack however was leering, all but undressing the woman with his eyes as he spoke to her. She let out a huffed out retort, looking as though she wanted to stalk away from Cossack. Allura had no idea what was going on, nor was she sure she should be glad to be so ignored. She kept quiet, just watching the two Drules talk, and eventually the woman reached into her pocket to get out blue lion's key.

Cossack took it from her, and held it up to his face, examining it closely. He murmured a few things under his breath, and then with a dismissive air about him, turned to look at Allura. His earlier, quick glance clearly hadn't prepared him for just who was the prisoner sitting among the Drules. He blew out his breath in a shocked exhalation, fingers tightening around the key so as not to drop it.

"Allura?!" He said her name, stunned confusion in his voice.

She fought back her fear of him to nod, Allura speaking softly but surely. "Yes, it's me!"

Cossack shook his head, and tore his eyes away from her to bark out some orders. It sent several of the men running out of the room, leaving Allura with just three Drules now. Cossack turned his attention back at her, just staring for a long moment. His look made her uncomfortable, she felt the weight of his stare moving over her, the man studying everything about her from her hair, her face, to her wet uniform.

Cossack frowned, and walked over to the table, touching the pictures of her being carried out of blue lion. He asked a question to the remaining Drules, and the female answered. Again he hissed, a loud gasp of air escaping him as he stared at her belongings on the table.

"Cossack?" Allura risked speaking, cringing when all three Drules turned to stare at her. Two of the looks were openly hostile, but Cossack still wore confusion. "What's going on? Why are you here? Where is Keith and the others?"

"Ah...." Cossack cleared his throat, and to her surprise he spoke Arusian. But the words were slow and hesitant, as though the Drule was long unfamiliar with speaking them. "That's a name I haven't heard in a long time..."

Allura blinked, confused. But she pressed on with the question. "Why were there Drule in the lions? How did the castle fall under control of your people? What's going on!?"

He took his time responding, as though he was slowly translating her words in his head. "I think the better question is what were you doing in Blue Lion!? Where did you come from, how did you find it?!"

"Find it?" She frowned at him. "It was never lost...."

"The hell it wasn't!" He snapped. "It's been missing for years, no not missing. We thought it destroyed. And now you come waltzing in, looking like a dead girl, and flying a lion that should not exist?!"

"A dead girl?!" She questioned sharply, staring at him confused. "I don't understand....Just what is going on?!"

"That's what I want to know!" Cossack all but roared, causing her to flinch back in fear. He didn't apologize, reaching out to snag her by the chin, jerking her face up to better study it. "How can you have her face?! How can you look exactly like the princess Allura, not even a day older?!"

"Because I am Allura!" Allura tried to jerk out of his grasp, but he merely tightened his fingers on her, glaring. "I am princess Allura of Arus and I order you to take your hands off of me!"

He actually let go at that, but laughed cruelly. "You don't give orders here. Even if you are who you say you are, Arus has changed. In more ways than one!"

"I don't understand." Allura admitted. "Just what is going on?! I was fighting one of Doom's robeast this morning....when it's cannon beam succeeded in hitting my lion. My shields barely blocked the attack, smoke and fire was all around me. When I cleared through the smoke, I see sights I have never before seen on Arus, a city like no other! And then i see the castle covered in Doom's colors, and are shot down by my lions! I just want to know what is going on!!"

He had stiffened at her words, a shrewd look in his eyes. " A robeast with a cannon you say?" At her nod, he frowned. "We haven't employed robeasts in decades. But..."

"But what?" Allura asked, noting how hesitant he was.

"What did the robeast look like that shot at you?" Cossack asked instead of answering. It made her frown, but before she could protest, he was adding the following. "Please, it's important."

Still frowning, she began to talk, easily answering his question. "It was a purplish pink color, with gray veins drawn all over it's skin. It had a cannon weapon on one arm, and carried a chained spiked ball on the other."

"By the Gods!" Cossack murmured, looking stunned. "How could you know that?!"

"What do you mean?" Allura demanded. "I was just fighting this robot a scant few hours ago! Of course I would remember it!"

"It's not possible..." Cossack continued, and then began talking urgently in Drule. The remaining man nodded, and hurried out of the room. The female was argumentative, Cossack growling at her in reply. The woman's stiffened, and returned to leaning towards the wall, a glare on her face.

"What's going on?" Allura asked nervously, looking back and forth between Cossack and the woman. "What's happening."

"We'll need proof." Cossack was speaking her language again, some of his anger dissipating. "You understand we need to confirm your identity."

"My identity? But I already told you who I am!"

"We can't just take you at your word, or face value. This could be a trick!" answered Cossack.

"A trick?" She didn't understand, and let it show in her eyes. "Why would I want to trick you?"

"I don't know!" Cossack admitted, seeming agitated. "But this could be some weird scheme to get to him. Though how you know the details of that day is debatable....."

"Please....tell me what's going on? Why don't you believe me? I have the lion, isn't that more than enough proof of who I am?" Allura asked.

"Maybe....but we need more. HE'LL need more." Cossack said, and the soldier returned with another Drule. This one was clad in white, and had an air of professionalism around him. This white clad Drule set a black bag down on the table, and began rooting around inside it. "We're going to unchain your hands. Don't try anything foolish...Allura." Her name was said hesitantly, as though he was still doubting who she was.

The female Drule undid the chains, and Allura immediately began rubbing the feeling back into her wrists. The white clad Drule turned to her, a large needle in hand, and she gasped. "Don't fight him!" advised Cossack, and Allura nodded, allowing them to roll up her uniform's sleeve and prick her arm with the needle. She winced, looking away so as not to see her blood drawn.

The doctor drew three vials worth in all, then packed them up in his back. He said something to Cossack, and the Drule nodded, answering back with an urgent tone. Allura wasn't chained back up, and she didn't ask them why, choosing to remain grateful for the freedom.

"Cossack, please....now will you tell me?"

He frowned at her, but nodded. "It's a good thing you're sitting Allura. This is probably going to come as quite a shock....at least if you are who you say you are."

"What? What is it?" She asked.

Cossack hesitated, then was forcing forward. "That fight with the robeast? The one that hit you with it's beam cannon? Allura....you died that day." Her eyes went huge at that, and she shook her head in denial.

"I did not..."

"Yes, you did." Insisted Cossack.

"No, I did not!" She leaped to her feet, but the female Drule pushed her back down to her seat. "Cossack, you can see me! I'm alive and well! A little shaken, a little cut up, but otherwise fine!"

"No Allura. You died. i saw the explosion with my own eyes. There was nothing left of you or the blue lion." She shook her head in denial, Cossack continuing. "His highness was devastated by your loss...It was all I could do to command the battle, and urged our troops onward to claim victory from the four remaining lions. Without blue lion, they were unable to form Voltron. Arus was easy pickings for Doom."

"You're lying!" Allura cried out, horrified at what he was saying. "You have to be! Even if the attack knocked me out for a few minutes, the lions---Arus couldn't have fallen to Doom so fast!"

That earned her a funny look from Cossack, the Drule shaking his head. "Allura, it wasn't a few minutes that have gone by. You've been missing for nearly twenty years!"

"Twenty years?!" She stared at him shocked, mouth dropping open foolishly. "No..." A shake of her head. "I don't believe you." But she noticed things she hadn't paid attention to before, saw the frown lines on his face that added years to his age. Could that much time really have passed? It would explain the city she had seen, and the absence of Doom's ships in the sky. So much was making a twisted sense, even as she grew horrified at the thought of losing twenty years of her life in an instant.

Cossack seemed to read her expression, seeing her slowly coming to accept at least some of what he was saying. "It's true Allura....you know what you've seen matches up with what I say. And there's more that can shown to prove it to you....Arus is a far different planet than it was twenty years ago..."

She barely heard him, mind reeling. "I...I'm in the future....?" She didn't even noticed him nodding, she was already slumping down in her seat, bringing her hands up to cover her face. She felt a sense of horrible loss, but more than that guilt, Allura wishing there had been some way to evade the robeast's attack. Surely then this would have never happened, and the Drule Empire wouldn't have taken over her planet.

"It's all my fault..." She whispered, feeling the first of her tears wanting to fall down her cheeks. Cossack seemed not to know what to say to that, instead focusing on talking to the Drules in the room. She tuned them out, breaking down in tears, not caring who saw her as she cried.

* * *

This was a chapter I could not find a good place to end it...X_X

To Be Continued!

Michelle

Seducing Reason, well not quite alternate reality as more time travel. I didn't know how to explain it in my summary space without giving the whole flash forward into the future thing. =/ I have to get to the changes soon...but right now all the chapters I wrote seem to be focused on the holding room she's in! And thanks for your enthusiasm!

Harmony WIntrers, oh thanks! I'm happy to read that you're excited and happy about this fic. :D I'm glad you liked my attempt at a battle scene. I enjoy battles, but I am more a hand to hand combat, and sword combat junkie. Not much for space ship battles, so that I could capture the attention of someone who really enjoys those kind of fights, it makes me pleased.

*giggles* I did think of doing an alternate reality, but the idea of an older Lotor who is hopefully more mature but devastated by the loss of Allura, and then to be reunited with her once more, was far more tempting! And I don't mind long reviews, I adore them in fact!

Misty Gargoyle, thanks! Although...now I feel a little nervous that I will let everyone down since ya'll have such high hopes and expectations. But I will try my very best!


	3. Chapter 3

She spent the next two days drifting between stunned dismay and tired aggravation, Cossack giving her little time to come to terms with what was happening. The General as she now learned his rank was, continued to push her, asking her question after question. It was an endless interrogation, the Drule seeming determined to catch her in a lie, prove Allura wasn't who she said she was.

She was asked everything from things that were easily made known to the public such as the names of her parents, to secret things, things few people would know aside from those that had been there to bear witness. Each time she was questioned, Allura snapped out an answer, having no way of knowing if she was passing Cossack's tests or not.

From the look of things, the General did not know either, the man becoming more agitated as the hours passed by. Both were going without sleep, and though Cossack was a full blooded Drule, even he began to feel the press for rest when the first day reached the twenty-four hour mark. Mercifully he conceded to a temporary retreat, allowing Allura to curl up on a cot that had been brought into the holding cell.

The female Drule, whose name was Lashina, was a constant presence in her cell. Cossack explained Lashina was there for both their sakes, the woman there to keep Allura from being molested by any of the male soldiers. He also explained she was there to protect Cossack's reputation, Allura would not be able to claim she had been molested by him, not with Lashina keeping a watchful eye on the proceedings.

Allura was unnerved to hear that the Drule would even consider molesting her, the princess turning grateful for Lashina's presence. Even if the woman was constantly glaring whenever Cossack set foot into the room, leaving Allura to wonder at their relationship.

She learned other things, such as the fact her communicator and blaster were considered ancient relics of a decade long past. They didn't understand how she had managed to get a blaster that was so new looking, Cossack having explained that only a few still existed, expensive items that only the richest of weapon aficionados could afford to buy to add to their private collections. That she had one that was in working condition puzzled the Drule, Cossack taking to carrying her weapon around to make sure none of the soldiers swiped it to sell on the second hand market.

Of course the real puzzler was the fact that she had blue lion, though Cossack was still trying to deny it could be the same lion he had witnessed the destruction of. He didn't tell her much of what they were doing with her lion, only hinting that Drule technicians and scientists were carefully studying the lion. Allura feared they'd take it apart, the girl begging Cossack to tell the Drules to be careful with it.

He had just given her a weird look at that, remaining tightlipped on the ultimate fate of her lion. It wasn't just blue lion that he was reluctant to discuss, she could barely pry any information out of him, learning little of this new Arus, and it's occupation by the Drule. Allura rolled the tidbits of information she did have, remembering how Cossack said it was he not Lotor who had led Doom to victory against the remaining four lions. No doubt that was one of the reasons behind all his medals, and the elevated rank.

She also latched onto the information that Cossack had said Lotor had been devastated by her death, and it left her to wonder why. Had he really loved her? She didn't know, Allura having assumed Lotor had always just been claiming love. She had never even thought the Drule capable of understanding the emotion, of being capable of loving anything but himself. How wrong was she about that, if the life of one girl could devastate him so?

And just where was Lotor? Cossack wasn't answering that, telling her she had more pressing matters to be concerned with. It left Allura wondering if Lotor even knew of her miraculous return, and just what he would do upon seeing her. But as the hours turned into days, Allura began to doubt she would ever see Lotor again. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about that, the girl knowing she had always been terrified of the man. Would twenty years have been enough time for him to change, even in the slightest?

She did not know, and her time for quiet contemplation was over with, Cossack entering with a tray of food. Her mouth watered at the sight of the white and yellow slop, she didn't care what they were about to give her, so long as it filled her stomach.

"Here." Cossack said, placing the tray down on the table. She immediately rose up off the cot, and dragged the uncomfortable metal chair over to the table. She noted they hadn't given her any utensils save for a plastic spoon, Allura sighing as she began scooping up a gelatinous substance. It wasn't exactly stellar fare, but Allura was so hungry she didn't care, eating almost greedily of the meal.

Cossack stood next to the table, just watching her eat, his fingers drumming an impatient tune on the table's surface. She knew the questions would start soon enough, Allura wondering if he'd even let her finish the meal before starting in on her again.

Apparently not, for when she had just a little bit of white goop left on her plate, Cossack began talking to her. "Where did the space explorers who would become part of the Voltron Force come from?!"

"Earth." She sighed, setting down her spoon. The tray was immediately pulled away from her, Cossack pacing before her. "They came from Earth, as members of Galaxy Garrison. But before they could arrive on Arus, they were captured by Drule slavers and brought to Doom. They managed to escape, however...."

"What was their mission?" He demanded.

"To find out if the legend of Voltron was true, and revive it if they could." A wry smile then. "Clearly they succeeded."

"That they did." Agreed Cossack. "The Voltron force would proceed to be a problem for the Doom Empire for how many years?"

"A little over two years." Allura said. "Though the Doom Empire would plague Arus for nearly sixteen years before the space explorers arrived."

"That makes you how old?" Cossack asked, staring hard at her.

"Eighteen." Allura told him, wondering how old Cossack was now. When she had first met him, he had looked a good twenty years older than Lotor, but with Drules it was hard to tell. They aged differently from humans, living longer, and slow to show the ravages of time on their skin. Cossack could very well be sixty years of age now, or even older than that! She had no way of knowing, and had a feeling he would not tell her the answer.

Cossack slowly lowered himself onto the spare chair brought into the room, his eyes fixed on her face. "Let's talk about you and Lotor."

"Me and the prince?" She shouldn't be surprised, Allura giving a shrug of her shoulders. "Sure, what do you want to know?"

"Everything." Cossack replied, with a mirthless smile. "Many of your encounters were kept out of history books."

"If they weren't documented, how would you know if I was telling the truth?" Allura asked, earning a grin from Cossack.

"Smart girl. Fortunately his highness told me some of what happened between you. Take the bridge incident."

"Chozzerai? What about it?" Allura questioned, watching as Cossack leaned forward.

"Well...we know the prince destroyed the bridge during it's opening ceremony. But what happened after he cornered you alone?" She hesitated, Cossack's sharp eyes missing nothing. "Don't you know?"

"No, I remember." Allura told him, trying not to frown. "It wasn't that often that I ended up all alone with Lotor. I was frightened, terrified out of my wits."

"I didn't ask if you were scared." Cossack's tone was cold, the man seeming impatient. "I asked what happened between Lotor and Allura then?"

She drew herself up to a straight sitting position, leveling her gaze with Cossack's. "It's true, he cornered me on the way to Blue Lion. He was actually waiting with it, and began talking about wanting to unite our two peoples through marriage. I turned him down, I even pulled my blaster out, and he ripped my dress. I got away though, but not before threatening to kill myself, rather than be taken by him." Cossack was silent, just listening to her. "Is that enough, or do you need to know more details? Should I tell you of how he tripped over a rock, giving me the opportunity to shoot him?"

"No." A grunt from him, Cossack shaking his head. "That's enough about that. What about the first time we met? What can you say about that?"

"I had had a few encounters with Lotor since the bridge incident, but he was no less scary to me. I was separated from the others, my lion falling into a crater. I got out to explore and came upon a tunnel. Drule soldiers were there, and drew my blaster on them. It was then that you and Lotor appeared." Now she fixed him with an angry stare, her words almost accusing. "You struck out with a whip, injuring my hand enough for me to drop my weapon."

"Lotor was very upset about that." Cossack admitted. "He gave me quite the ear chewing, and sentenced me to twenty lashings so I would know just how the sting of a whip felt."

Her eyes went wide, Allura staring shocked at the general. "Lotor did that? How terrible!"

"You always did feel emphaty for others that were treated badly, even if they were your enemy." Cossack murmured. "I think that's one of the things he admired the most about you."

"He cared only about my beauty, and the assets my planet could give him." Allura quickly retorted, earning a hostile glare from the General.

"That's not true! His highness cared more about you than you ever realized! If you can't see it, it's your loss!" His one hand curled into a fist, but to her relief he did not bang it on the table. Nor did the storm clouds in his eyes calm down, Cossack looking furious at her. It almost made Allura want to apologize, the girl biting her lip to keep from saying anything lest she further agitate the Drule.

Their staring contest continued, Cossack slow to cool down. Lashina said something, her voice breaking up some of the tension between them. But Cossack didn't turn to look at the Drule female, instead continuing to stare at Allura. "Do you remember the summit meeting?"

"How could I forget that time!" Allura cried out, her voice more passionate than she wanted it to be. "Lotor nearly succeeding in killing Keith. Doom nearly won against Arus."

"His highness...what did he say to you when he cornered you alone in the woods?" Cossack wanted to know.

"In the moments before Keith appeared?" Allura asked, wanting a clarification. "Why he said...."

A beeping was heard, Cossack holding up his hand for silence. She obliged, watching as he pulled out a communicator from his belt, thumb pressing down on a button. He growled out his name, the words that followed were all in Drule, leaving Allura in the dark as to what he was discussing.

A pause, and then an answer was crackled out over the airwaves. Cossack seemed to roar, a one word response that had Allura cringing back in her seat. The General slammed his fist onto the table, tray and spoon rattling in reply, as he leapt to his feet. Lashina was coming forward, a concerned expression on her face. She didn't get a chance to ask what was going on, Cossack was shaking his head, shouting into his communicator.

Allura stared wide eyed, watching as he continued to holler and snarl, free hand waving wildly. Drules came running into the room, the soldiers wanting to know what was happening. Cossack looked at them, and began issuing orders, the men looking frightened and uncertain. Cossack seemed to grow angrier, all but growling.

"What's going on?!" Allura cried out, earning a pointed glare from the General.

"Never you mind." He said in Arusian, and with that was stepping towards the room's only door. He didn't cast even one glance back at the girl claiming to be Allura, Cossack walking out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

The soldiers were still milling out in the hall, looking anxious and unsure. Cossack's foul mood turned even uglier, his glare full of deadly menace. "Well?" He demanded. "Get to your posts, you know what to do!"

"But..." A hesitant voice, the soldier looking torn over what he was about to say. "Are you sure? I mean...it's the King...."

"It's because it's the King that we will keep him away from this room, and the girl inside!" Cossack snapped back. "Now go! I don't care what kind of excuse you give him, but find a way to delay his arrival! Do everything you can!"

"Yes, General Cossack!" The soldiers were saluting him, and then they ran off, hurrying towards the stairs that led out of the castle's dungeon. Cossack waited until he was alone in the hall, and then he was cursing, a loud, "FUCK!" being issued out of him. The curse was followed up by his communicator being thrown on the floor, the General not caring if it was damaged from the violent fall.

"He's coming..." Cossack muttered to himself, hands going up to grip at the hair of his scalp. "He's coming and there's nothing I can do to stop him!" So upset was he, the General nearly pulled out fistfuls of his hair, the man leaning against the door of the occupied holding cell. "Damn it!"

He knew they weren't ready for this visit, knew they didn't have concrete proof either way that this girl really was who she said he was. But inwardly Cossack knew he was lying to himself. This girl, this Allura knew too much, was getting all the facts right, even the stuff that wasn't made available in the pages of the history books. She knew all the details, hell she knew about the time he had injured the princess of Arus' wrist, and that was something no one else but Lotor knew!

And then there was the matter of blue lion. So far it seemed the real deal, passing all the tests they had run. The pilots of the other four lions were chomping at the bit to fly blue lion themselves, also wanting to find a fifth pilot to man the machine. They, and that included the scientists and technicians, were dying to see Voltron formed, and Cossack wasn't sure what would happen if the lion proved to be capable of forming the right foot of Voltron.

He didn't know what Lotor would do if this girl really proved to be the princess of Arus. But worse than that, he didn't know if Lotor could handle it if she turned out NOT to be Allura. Once had been bad enough, Lotor absolutely devastated by her death all those years ago. Would he be able to survive losing Allura a second time? "Damn it!" Cossack shouted out loud, wanting to punch his fist into something.

It was why he had been careful to keep any reports from ending up on Lotor's desk. He didn't want his highness to learn about this girl's existence, didn't want him to build himself up on hope, only to have it dashed when she proved to be false. It had taken years for Lotor to recover from Allura's death, Cossack didn't think either one of them could handle another descent into despair for the Drule royal.

He heard the sound of footsteps pounding down on the staircase at the exact time his communicator gave a weak beep. Cossack lifted it up off the floor, and pressed down on it's buttons. "Yes?"

"We couldn't get him to stop!" The voice said, confirming what Cossack already knew. "He'll be there any second!"

"Yes...I know." Cossack said tiredly, listening to the sound of multiple footsteps on the staircase, all but running in an attempt to keep even with one person. Cossack had no doubt it was the King himself, coming to see the prisoner with his own eyes. He pocketed his communicator, and hurried over to the foot of the stair case, prepared to greet his King.

He got down on one knee, arm bent before his chest as he bowed reverently to the Drule. The King cleared the landing, giving an acknowledging nod to the General. "You can dispense with the formalities General. Is she here?"

Cossack held back a sigh, rising to stand and follow his King. The Drule was anxiously scanning the closed doors of the various holding cells, not kowing which one to go to first. "Sire, I really think this isn't a good idea..." He was ignored, the King hurrying forward to throw open a door. A male prisoner blinked in surprise at them, his mouth falling open stupidly at the sight of the Drule King.

The door was slammed shut, the Drule moving on to the next. Cossack followed, making no attempt to point the King in the right direction. He was too busy wondering how the King had found out about this girl, realizing he must have heard about blue lion's appearance over the city of Altea to have come running here so quickly.

"Where is she?!" demanded the Drule, frustrated when a third door did not produce the results he wanted.

"Sire, please....allow me to handle this..." Cossack began, earning an annoyed look from the Drule. The King continued to try doors, there was only two left, and Cossack was growing desperate. When his highness moved towards the door in which Allura was behind, Cossack threw himself against the door.

"General Cossack!" gasped the King, looking shocked by his actions. "What are you doing?!"

"Just give me another day with her!" begged Cossack, not moving from the door. "Enoguh time to get the truth. Enough time for the DNA tests to come back!"

"I have no need of your truth and your tests!" He sneered in response. "I'll know if it's her or not the instant I see her!"

"Sire, it's not a good idea. Her face...the resemblance is uncanny...even you can be fooled!" It was the wrong thing to say, the King's golden eyes narrowing in rage. "I'm trying to protect you, damn it!"

"Your protection is neither wanted nor warranted." The King replied coldly. "Now move General."

"But..."

"MOVE!" He snarled, and reached forward to haul Cossack away from the door. Cossack stumbled backwards when free of the King's grip, nearly falling to the floor in the process. He could only watch helplessly as his liege, the man he was sworn to protect, opened the door.

He heard a gasp, a mingling of two voices speaking at once. The King seemed to fall against the door frame, Cossack did not need to see his face, to know his eyes had grown wide with shock. Cossack let out a moan of his own, knowing all his attempts to protect Lotor from devastation had been ruined in the instant he opened the door to Allura's holding cell.

* * *

To Be Continued....

Michelle

Harmony Winters, glad you like it enough to read it more than one time. ;) And Cossack is a fave of mine too. And he's uber protective of Lotor, especially after what Lotor's been through the first time Allura "died."

Misty Gargoyle, thanks! And yes..the Drules haven't made it a priority to learn Arusian, and are trying to help the language be replaced by theirs. Originally I wrote it died out, but our friend Lotor suggested a change where I have it, on it's way to dying out, rather than died out for good.

Seducing Reason, ha ha, I have a Lotor vs. Lotor idea involving his clone. Plus I have two lemons where Allura gets shared by the Lotor and his clone. But the idea which i have yet to even write beyond notes, would have Lotor facing off in a fight against his clone!

LostinNY, I'm not sure. I'm always thinking of new ideas, and was intrigued by the thought of a May December romance between Lotor and Allura. Although I'm a little confused by the comment, "This is the Lotor we've been waiting for." Care to explain? *hopes*


	4. Chapter 4

It was odd setting foot onto the castle's grounds, Lotor experiencing a sense of unease at being in the building that had been Allura's home. Even now, twenty years later, he still felt as though her essence permeated the very surroundings. It wasn't as though her ghost haunted the building, but more his imagined memories of her. Lotor could picture her moving about the rooms, laughing, smiling, things she had never dared do in his presence.

It was the chief reason he avoided coming to the castle of lions in the first place, Lotor not wanting to be burdened with any more heart ache. Sometimes he thought he was foolish for coming to this planet, knowing the tragic memories it's land held for him. Perhaps he liked depressing himself, Lotor choosing Arus as the perfect get away from his royal obligations.

Those obligations included his wife, Merla an annoyance on the best of days, was downright infuriating lately. She kept pestering him to give her an heir, the Queen wanting a child to further cement her position as his wife. So far their few meager couplings had produced nothing but anger and dissatisfaction, Merla accusing Lotor of purposefully sabotaging their chances at having a child.

It wasn't just the issue of an heir that had him fleeing to Arus, Lotor trapped in a loveless marriage with the Drule female. They didn't even like each other, Merla constantly haranguing him about this and that, Lotor annoying her in turn. They didn't outright insult each other, being more subtle in their jabs.

They had nearly come to their first full fight, one that left Lotor in a murderous rage, the Drule tempted to raise a fist to the woman. That had upset him anew, the man knowing he wasn't the type to strike a woman no matter how infuriating a bitch she was. That Merla could shake a moral code so thoroughly had him packing his things, Lotor leaving her and Doom behind to go to the one place she'd never suspect he'd set foot on.

Arus. He told no one save for Cossack and the entourage that accompanied him everywhere. They were all sworn to secrecy, Lotor's ship arriving in the space port of Havana. It was a short ride to a tropical paradise, a small beach town that doubled as a vacation resort for the idle rich and famous. It was also almost as far away from the castle of lions as one could get on Arus, nearly halfway across the planet.

As such, he was in no position to travel quickly when news broke out about blue lion's reappearance. Several news stations broke the story, amateur footage being presented of the lion and it's subsequent shooting down by the other four. Lotor hadn't known what to think when he saw the footage, at first assuming it was a hoax of some kind.

That was before more footage was leaked to the news stations, still images showing the lion on the castle grounds. Someone close to the event had surely leaked the pictures to the news hounds for a hefty price. Lotor would almost want to find out who it was, and snuff out the leak before any more damage could be done. But that was before he saw the images with his own eyes, a gasp escaping him as he spied the helmeted girl in the pink and white pilot's uniform.

The image had been blurry from distance, he couldn't make out the details of her face to know who that was. And yet, his heart had started beating with excitement at seeing that picture. If it was a hoax, it was the most elaborate one yet, and Lotor meant to get to the bottom of it.

No news came from the castle, not even a statement about the situation, leaving Lotor all the more curious and determined. He ditched his entourage, and hired a private shuttle to transport him halfway around the world. Even at it's fastest speed, it still took about two days to arrive, and in that time Lotor continued trying to get a hold of someone, anyone who could tell him what was going on at the castle.

Finally a low level grunt let slip that General Cossack himself was interrogating the girl. That raised eyebrows, Lotor knowing Cossack had better things to do than waste his time on a prisoner.

By the time Lotor arrived at the castle, he knew without a doubt Cossack was keeping something big from him. The soldiers around him all but proved it, the men and women eager to distract their liege, lead him away to other, inconsequential tasks. Lotor refused to be led astray, the Drule hurrying towards the basement floor of the castle.

Lotor didn't know what he wanted to believe as he descended down the basement's stair case. Did he dare even hope that really was blue lion that had appeared? And if so, who was piloting it? It was crazy, and impossible, and damn him if he didn't want to believe that she could really be alive and returned to him. His heart started beating more strongly, he could practically hear it ringing in his ears.

Cossack was waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase, the man kneeling respectfully. Lotor urged him to get up, but his attention was all for the pilot they had pulled out of the lion. He didn't even wait for Cossack to tell him what room the girl was in, he began pulling open doors himself, each time being rewarded with disappointment.

Finally Cossack threw himself against one of the last remaining doors, barring his way. Lotor had stared into the General's eyes, and knew his friend acted out of desperate need to protect him. Part of him understood that desire, but the rest was overriding caution, Lotor hauling Cossack away from the door, and jerking it open.

A gasp greeted him, it might have been his own voice that echoed the girl's sound, Lotor's eyes going wider than they had ever gone before. Allura, for she could be no one else, had been sitting at a table when the door opened. At the sight of Lotor she leaped to her feet, chair falling over from her rapid movement. Her own eyes were wide, the blue looking frightened, which was a familiar look on her face.

Lotor had barely been able to stand, staring back at her. His knees seemed to weaken, he actually fell against the door frame. "A...Allura....?"

"Lotor!" Just his name, but she sounded scared, the girl remembering to close her gaping mouth.

Behind him he could hear Cossack cursing, orders being issued for the guards to go back to their posts. Lotor continued to lean against the side of the door, just drinking in the sight of Allura. She hadn't aged a day, being at that age when a girl blossomed into a woman. Her hair was as golden as the sun, bun in disarray so that curled strands fell down the sides of her face.

Her eyes were as blue as the ocean, fathomless depths to them he could lose himself into. Her skin a healthy glow, she had a bandage over her one eye, leaving Lotor's blood to boil at the thought of her suffering an injury, even one as small as that one was.

He had things he wanted to ask her, things he wanted to say, things that might make him sound foolish. He cleared his throat, aware of Cossack appearing at his side. "Leave us."

"Sire?" A questioning word, Lotor feeling annoyed to hear it.

"I said leave us! All of you...." He didn't look away from Allura, but he was aware of a female soldier standing just to the side of his vision.

"I'm not sure that's wise." Cossack began. "We don't know who she really is...."

"Fool! Can't you see? It's Allura!" Lotor snapped at him. "I'd know that face anywhere!"

"Yeah but..." Cossack hesitated. "Faces are easy to fake with the surgeries these days." Lotor shook his head, refusing to believe she was a fake. "Sire, don't be

foolish...not until we get proof...."

"I have all the proof I need." Lotor answered. "Now leave us."

Cossack sighed. "Fine. But I'll be outside this door just in case...." He heard Cossack moving, and saw the female solider ease past him into the hall. "One more thing....she doesn't speak the language. I've been having to practice my Arusian....."

"And you don't think that odd in and of itself?" Lotor demanded. "Arusian is pratically a long dead language....there's not many around who still even recall how to speak it. And even less that know it well and would be willing to teach it to someone else!"

"It is odd." Agreed Cossack. "But odder things have happened in the past. Be careful my King."

Lotor didn't dignify that with a response, pushing away from the door frame to step into the room. He heard the door click close behind him, but the lock wasn't engaged. Cossack was surely listening at the door, ready to burst in at the first sign of trouble. That was fine with Lotor, he knew he could trust his friend not to repeat anything he overheard of the upcoming conversation.

Not that he could work his tongue to speak to her, Lotor just staring at Allura. She stared back, her look growing increasingly nervous. He couldn't stop looking at her, especially her face, seeing the beauty of a real person and not a holographic image that was faded in color.

For several minutes they just stood there looking at one another, and then Lotor was moving. She immediately tensed up at his approach, nearly tripping over the toppled over chair. He went to lunge forward to catch her as she stumbled, and Allura let out a frightened sound that had him freezing. That gave her the time to right herself, Allura backing up even more.

Lotor circled around the chair, still staring. He was surprised to find his hands were trembling, Lotor almost frightened to reach out and try to touch her. What if she proved to be a ghost, what if she was just another figment of his mind sent his to torture him for his hand in her death?

He wouldn't be able to bear it if she was not real, he could feel old wounds tearing open inside him, bleeding with pain as fresh as the day she had died. His fingers grazed the sleeve of her uniform, and he felt the warmth against the tips. Her warmth, making something tighten in his chest.

Allura made a protesting sound when he grasped hold of her wrist, Lotor noting how delicate and fragile she seemed. He was gentle as he pulled her into his embrace, locking shaking arms around her. The feel of her body pressed against his soothed him, Lotor burying his nose against her scalp, sniffing at her hair. Her shampoo smelled of flowers, and he let out a laugh that ended in a gasp.

"You're real!" He said, hugging her tighter, hard enough to tear a whimper out of her. He did not relax his grip, Lotor feeling tears start to fall down his cheeks. It was silent weeping he was doing, tears of joy and relief to have her here with him.

She shifted in his embrace, not quite fighting him but neither was her body relaxing into the hug. Even though he was crying, he wanted to laugh out loud, wanted to swing her around and cover her in kisses.

"I can't breathe!" Allura cried out, trying to push back from his chest. "You're suffocating me!"

Chastised, he immediately relaxed his hold on her, bringing his hands to either side of her cheeks. He stared into her eyes, and she stared back, blinking owlishly at the sight of his tears. "Lotor...you're crying..."

"I'm just so happy..." Lotor told her, and though he was greatly tempted to kiss her in this moment, he held back, not wanting to frighten or upset her any further. It was a time that should be spent with joy, not fear, not anger.

His hands began smoothing back her hair, tucking the loose strands behind her ears. He knew he was smiling foolishly, but he couldn't keep from grinning so long as

he had her in his arms.

"Happy?" She echoed, seeming to tremble at all the touching he was doing. "To see me?"

"Of course to see you!" He answered, fighting a sudden urge to take down her bun, and see her with loose hair. "I didn't think I would ever get this chance, to not only see you, but to hold you in my arms...."

"Then you believe me when I say who I am?" Allura asked, and at his nod she seemed to sag, relief radiating off of her. His arms offered support, holding her upright so she not end up on the floor. "Thank goodness....it's been horrible...endless hours of questions, of trying to prove who I am!" That relief of hers seemed to chase away some of her fright of him, Allura looking up urgently at Lotor. "Please....how did I get here? What happened....how can twenty years pass in a matter of minutes?!"

"I don't know." Lotor admitted. "It's a miracle. Truly and honestly a miracle to have you here. That you survived." He felt her shiver, Allura nodding her head in agreement.

"I thought I was done for when that robeast fired it's beam into my lion's front."

"We all thought you died....you and blue lion vanished without a trace. We assumed you were vaporized, turned to dust in an instant." He hugged her again, not caring if she would squeal about it being too tight an embrace. He hid his expression from her, knowing his eyes would have taken on a haunted look as he thought on the moment he had watched her get hit with the beam. The moment he had thought she had perished.

"Instead I was sent to the future...." She peered up at him, expression troubled. He knew she had to be confused, even horrified at the thought of an Arus that was conquered by the Drules. "Is there...no way for me to return to my own time and place?"

"I don't know." He admitted, fighting not to say something about her place was at his side. She looked disappointed at what he said, but asked another question.

"What about the witch? Haggar....she made that robeast. Surely she'd know if it was capable of time travel, and if there's a way to reverse it...."

He didn't answer right away, fighting to keep a guilty look off his face. A vision flashed in his mind, of his hands around the witch's scrawny neck, his muscles tensing as he applied pressure to it. She had gasped and gagged, her hands flailing, claws trying to scratch on his face and his chest. Her blue cat Coba had actually attacked him, sinking it's teeth into his wrist.

He hadn't reacted to the bite, even when blood was pouring out of the wound, Lotor too enraged to feel pain. At least, pain that had nothing to do with the despair in his heart at losing Allura.

His father's guards had tried to pull him off the witch, but that only made Lotor hang on harder, squeezing so hard he heard the satisfying sound of her wind pipe being crushed. The witch had died mere seconds after that, her cat yowling an infernal racket that died down when he impaled it on his sword.

Lotor couldn't always remember everything that happened in the months that followed Allura's death, he had huge periods of black outs, moments that other people did not dare speak about. Sometimes he had come out of the black outs, covered in blood. Other times he was clean, his body cramping up from sitting, staring at one spot for too long.

"Lotor?" Allura prodded him. "Can we ask Haggar?"

"She's dead." Lotor said without inflection to his voice. He saw her upset, never had he imagined Allura would cry over the witch's demise! "Shhh, shhh Allura." He tried comforting her. "She died a long time ago...it doesn't matter..."

"Doesn't matter?!" Allura pulled back again. "Without her knowledge I might never get back home!"

"Would that really be so bad?" His question was serious, Lotor watching as she shook her head no.

"I have to go back! The fate of Arus...."

"Has been decided." He interrupted. That earned him a distraught look, making him sigh and start to pet her hair. "I'm sorry....I know this must all be a shock to you..."

"No more than it's a shock to you to see me again." Her words made him smile, Lotor nodding.

"I thought I had lost you forever." His admittance was full of raw honesty and pain, Lotor wanting her to know how sincere he was when it came to how he had felt at thinking her dead. She clearly did not know how to handle such words, Allura lowering her eyes, the faintest of blushes on her cheeks. He smiled, charmed to see it.

"I had forgotten how easy it is to make you blush." He couldn't help teasing her, Lotor guiding her over to sit on the cot. He was surprised at how uncomfortable it felt, instantly outraged that his beloved had spent days in such horrid accommodations.

He'd have to do something about that, but later. For now all he could think about was being beside her, Lotor gripping one of her hands in his, his eyes studying her profile. He didn't know how or why the gods had seen fit to return her to him, but he knew he had to make the most of it. As rare as second chances were, third ones were even more unheard of.

Allura seemed to be relaxing somewhat, now that he wasn't clutching her to him. Lotor was disappointed not to have her pressed against him, but settled for the touch of her hand in his. "There's so much I want to know..." She said, Lotor nodding in agreement.

"I have no doubt of that. I'll answer as best I can..."

"Thank you...the General was hardly forthcoming with answers." Allura said with a sigh.

"I apologize for him." Lotor told her. "Now...what did you want to know...?"

"Everything!" She exclaimed, and now he had to laugh.

"That might take a little while..." But he was smiling, confidant they had all the time in the world to discuss the things she needed to know.

* * *

To be continued!

Michelle

Christine, the Dark Rose Maiden, thanks! After this chapter we'll get to the stuff that I just wrote this week. The stuff not yet on my site. ^_- I'm pretty happy with five and six too, so can't wait to post them! You'll get to see first hand in six the grieving Lotor did, his total melt down in response to her death. As for Cossack, you totally know it! He'd never try to whip Allura again after what happened the last time! XD

Misty Gargoyle, sorry sorry. *hangs head* I didn't mean to go so long between updating, but I was worrying that I hadn't written past chapter four. So I was trying to buy time to get more chapters written before I update. (I've got up to 7 now written!) Some of your questions about what happened will be answered in 5 and 6, as Lotor memories flash back to key scenes.

ZutarianNaiad, thanks for the review and the words about possible improvements. I'll try to remember about the having thing....actually i worry about the next two chapters cause it's a flash back to the past, so there's a lot of hads and what not for past tense writing. I'm afraid though I'm a bit too set in my ways to successfully change my writing at this point, plus it works for me the words I do use. ^^;;

LostinNY, I am! :D That's actually a choice Allura may have to make, presuming she can find a way to go back. Stay with this more mature Lotor who she can love, but at the expense of the people and Arus of the past. Or go back to save Arus and the people, but sacrifice her love. (Since Lotor wouldn't have gone through the things that changed him so much.)


	5. Chapter 5

His first order of business was to get Allura situated in a more comfortable a surrounding than the dingy holding cell she had spent the last few days in. It was simply unacceptable to Lotor that she had spent even an hour in such an inhospitable room, and the King could not apologize enough to her. She had been gracious, shrugging off the treatment she had thus received, more eager for answers than concerned for her own comfort.

But Lotor had been insistent, long used to getting his way, even at the protests of his General and the head of the castle's house keeping. They tried to delay him, Cossack not thinking it wise to take Allura out into the castle, the maids all a flutter, saying they did not have a room prepared for one of Lotor's stature. Lotor ignored them all, and selected one of the empty bedrooms on the fourth floor of the castle, with orders to send in fresh linens and things to make the room more cozy.

He also had them preparing a meal, an extravagant lunch that was sure to tempt Allura into eating. Not that it would take much, not after she had been consigned to the slop they called food down in the castle's make shift dungeon. Even now the food was being prepared, the cooks order to take their time so as not to rush into any mistakes.

Lotor had insisted Allura relax, and bathe, a dress being borrowed from one of the maids. Allura had been leery at the thought of bathing with him present, it had taken an extraordinary amount of coaxing and promises on his part not to intrude. Even then she hadn't trust him enough to leave the door unlocked, Lotor hearing the sounds of something heavy being dragged over to the door, the girl barricading herself inside the bathroom.

He almost smiled at that, amused by her antics. He also knew that once that wouldn't have been enough to keep him from her side, Lotor pressing a hand to the metal of the door. If this had been a younger, more impetuous Lotor, he wouldn't have hesitated to break down the door, all for the illicit thrill of seeing his beloved princess in the nude. But that was then, and he was a more composed man, or so he liked to believe.

Still he kept casting longing looks at the door, even going so far as to press himself against it, imagining he could feel the warmth of her shower and smell the soap she was using. It was in that position he was found by the maids, two women wheeling a tray covered cart into the room. He grew flustered at their intrusion, but thankfully they said nothing about what he had been doing.

He pulled away from the door, pacing about the room as they began covering a table with plates of food. The meal smelled delicious, and Lotor found that for the first time in a long time he was looking forward to eating. It was only too bad the experience would be marred by the topic that was so heavy on Allura's mind, Lotor holding back a sigh as he wondered how he would be able to break the news of all that had happened.

He knew it would be hard for her to hear, and some of it would be difficult for him to recount, Lotor still having trouble thinking about those days without experiencing a fresh wave of grief. The grief would be dulled by Allura's presence, Lotor marveling at the miracle that had brought her back in his life. He hadn't been a very religious man, these past twenty year. Lotor had all but stopped believing in Gods and miracles with the death of Allura. He hadn't been able to understand what sort of Creator would allow so beautiful and kind a soul to die such a horrid and wrongful death.

Now he was a flush with new devotion, Lotor bowing his head as he paused by a sunlit window. He didn't know who to direct his prayer of thanks to, Lotor settling on any God who would listen to a man as fallen in faith as he. "Thank you..." He said simply. "Thank you for bringing her back to me. For giving me another chance..."

He heard the sound of something being dragged, and realized Allura had finished her shower. He was turning towards the bathroom when she opened the door, looking a little uncertain as she stepped out in the drab uniform of a maid. The dress may have been of an unflattering cut, and it's colors dull and faded, but it didn't detract one iota from her beauty.

"Allura..." He was all smiles, walking towards her. "You look..." He hesitated, not sure how she would take his flattery. "Refreshed."

"Thank you, I am. I...you were right. I needed that." She admitted. "More than I realized." He just smiled at her, not wanting to gloat that she had seen the wisdom in his suggestions. Instead he gestured at the table, Allura's eyes widening as she saw all the food.

"Are we having company?" She asked, drawn to the table in an instant, her expression hungry. "The General perhaps?"

"Oh no, it will be just us." Lotor assured her, pulling out a chair for her. She hesitated a moment, then sat down, Lotor resisting the urge to touch her shoulders and

lean in to sniff at her hair. "Do you think I had the cooks make too much?" He couldn't help but sound anxious, Lotor moving to take the chair next to her.

"Just a little..." She said, and he began to cut into the roasted water fowl that was the centerpiece of the meal. Allura waited until he was done distributing the pieces of meat, the girl fidgeting with her knife and fork. She didn't start eating immediately, instead staring down at her plate, a look of concentration on her face. He could tell she was eager to question him, but trying to be polite.

Lotor settled the matter by offering her a way in with his words, the King almost musing as he spoke. "So..." He said, having finished piling on vegetables onto his plate. "You want to know everything..."

She immediately looked at him, unable to hide how desperate she was for the information. "Yes." Allura answered. "Everything you can tell me. I want to get a picture of what happened the day I..." A hesitation, the girl choosing her words carefully. "...disappeared."

"Disappeared." Lotor repeated, and somehow managed to hold back a shudder. "It's still so hard to believe. You sitting here besides me. After thinking you were dead for so long..."

"It's no easier for you than I!" Allura exclaimed. "I think I'm still in a state of shock over learning twenty years passed in an instant! Just what was in that robeast's cannon beam that could have caused this...temporal anomaly?"

"That's what I would like to know..." Lotor muttered under his breath, wondering if Haggar had even known what she had created when making that monster of hers. "But...we'll worry about that some other time. For now I think we should stick to questions I can answer."

"Okay." A nod of her head, Allura turning to fix all her attention on him. "What happened after I got hit with the beam?"

"Chaos, pure and simple." Lotor answered, fighting not to transport himself to that time and place in his mind. It was a losing battle, as the words formed in his head, allowing him to paint a vivid picture for Allura, he began to relive that day. The sounds and sights were all too real to him, Lotor remembering the shock he had felt when he leapt to his feet from the command chair.

"Allura!" He had shouted, hands forming fists. There had been silence on board his ship, the soldiers and technicians falling quiet once they realized just which lion had been hit. Lotor had stared at the view screen, and all he had been able to see was a thick cloud of smoke where Allura's lion had been. It was a dark gray color, almost black, and flames seemed to spark all around it.

The robeast wasn't idle, it was recovering from the attack that had caused it to misfire, shaking red lion off it's arm. Lotor didn't know who to blame more, Haggar's robeast or the pilot of red lion, and sweat began beading on the side of his face as he stood there staring. The four remaining lions were milling about in the sky, they had seemed unsure of what to do, waiting for a sign from blue lion.

None was coming, and Lotor could remembering demanding his men establish radio contact with Allura's lion. It was a radio frequency they were familiar with, Lotor often making calls to her, taunting and seducing, even trying to cow her into accepting his affections. This time he had hoped to do nothing more than express his concern for her, and God willing, his relief for her state of well being.

He would get to do neither, a Drule technician shouting out horrifying words. "There's nothing but static on the airwaves. It's as if blue lion isn't there to make contact with!"

"Fool!" Lotor had hissed, and it wasn't his imagination that the Drules onboard his ship had cowered. "She has to be there! Keep trying!"

"Yes, sire!" had been the answer, but the voice had sounded doubtful.

The lions were regrouping, forced to continue to evade the robeast's attacks, cannon beams firing indiscriminately at them. Lotor saw another beam punch through the cloud of smoke, dissecting it into two. "Someone! Manual override the cannon on that creature's arm!"

"But sire..." Came the protest. "To do so now would be foolish...!"

"I don't care!" Lotor had growled, too upset over Allura's unknown fate to care about anything else. "His blasts are too dangerous! He's hit Allura....he...he continues to hit her!"

"Yes, sire..." had sighed the voice, the Drule technicians getting busy on hacking into the robeast's weapon.

"Come on, come on...." Lotor had muttered, staring at the screen. He wasn't even paying attention to the fight, just staring at the cloud as it hung there, smoking in the air. He had kept waiting for blue lion to fly out at any moment, badly damaged but intact, and every second that went by he was disappointed.

He had started to sweat even more, damp, nervous sweat that had his uniform sticking to his skin. He had never felt so frightened in his life, not even his father's disappointment could compare to the terror Lotor had been experiencing in that moment. The terror of losing Allura.

Somewhere to the right of him Cossack had been approaching, the commander's expression concerned. Lotor would have ignored him, should have, but then he was whispering foolish words, the commander close enough to hear and object. "I wish to call a cease fire..."

"Prince no!" Cossack had the sense to keep his voice down, but it was no less heated as he shook his head to Lotor's wish.

"It would be a temporary thing!" Lotor had practically been pleading with his commander, unable to even look away from the view screen. The robeast had realized it's cannon beam wasn't working, and it began howling in rage. "A momentary truce so we could check on Allura. Get her the help she might need..."

"Your father would never understand..." Cossack had begun, and Lotor had cut him off with a hoarse shout.

"To hell with my father! This is Allura we're talking about! He'll have to understand..."

"He wouldn't, and you know it!" Cossack had pointed out. "What's more, neither would our people understand, nor would they accept a prince who shows such concern for our enemy."

"But it's Allura..." Lotor had lowered his voice once more, a whispered whine of her name.

"This is war." Cossack had answered, steel in his tone. "And she is on the opposing side. What's more, she fights against us in that lion of hers. She knew the risks when she took to piloting that machine."

"No....NO!" Lotor shook his head, slamming his fists on the computer console before his seat. "She's counting on me. Counting on me to protect her from harm!" Unspoken was the thought he had failed her, Lotor staring at the screen.

"Sire.." Cossack's voice had sounded rich with apology, but Lotor had shrugged off the hand he offered. It was at that moment that green lion darted in close to the cloud, the other remaining lions distracting the robeast with their attacks. Green lions' jaw dropped, and gusts of winds were emitted, the breezes blowing apart the cloud bit by bit. Lotor had watched anxiously, a prayer being repeated over and over in his mind.

_~Please let her be all right.~ _He had thought, and then was screaming, in a voice no one had ever heard before this day. He had never had reason to use it before, Lotor's voice breaking on a sob. He was close to crying, and blindly he reacted, trying to lunge towards the view screen even though a large drop was between him and the floor. Cossack's hands were on him, hauling him back, but Lotor had continued to struggle, to scream.

The cloud had been completely blown away, not even stray wisps remained. The sight had he been longing to see was not there, there was no sign of Allura's lion, not even one flaming paw to mark where she had been. His voice had still been screaming, long after he thought he had stopped, Lotor finding Cossack had wrapped his arms around him.

It was odd to be embraced by another man, even one who was his friend, Lotor shaking and trembling like a newborn baby in Cossack's arms. Cossack's hold had been awkward, the man seeming leery of touching the prince in this way. But it had seem the only way to keep Lotor from doing something foolish, something harmful to himself, the prince staring at the view screen.

"Allura no! NO!" Lotor had screamed, almost incapable of any other words. "Haggar! What have you done?! What have you done!" He couldn't even remember the words Cossack had whispered to him, the commander trying to be soothing. His eyes had been wet, burning hot with tears as he thought of Allura, that beautiful life snuffed out in an instant.

The lions had also faltered in mid air, the pilots surely shocked by what green lion had uncovered. The robeast was swinging it's ball and chain around again, occasionally thrusting it forward, the lions barely dodging the spiked ball in time. Yellow lion took a direct hit to the face, and then the lions were backing away. Green lion continued to hover uncertainly in the air, seeming to stare at the spot Allura's lion should be in.

That had cost the pilot of green lion, his inattention allowing him to fall susceptible to the robeast's attack. The spikes of the iron ball buried deep in the lion's back, green lion being dragged to the ground. The robeast stomped forward, triumphantly placing it's foot on the lion's head, grounding it's heel in viciously. The other lions had been in the midst of a retreat, but now black lion came charging back, attacking the robeast.

It was enough of a diversion that the robeast stepped off green lion, allowing the badly damaged machine to shakily walk off. Yellow lion approached, lending green lion it's support in the form of a piggy back ride. Black lion kept up the diversion with the robeast only long enough for yellow lion to carry green lion away. And then it too was retreating, running as fast as it's engines would allow.

"Prince..." Cossack had hissed in his ear, still holding Lotor who had been a complete wreck. "We have them on the run! What are your orders?" Lotor had said nothing then, was barely aware the fight was going in Doom's favor. All he had been able to think about was the moment blue lion has taken the full on force of the robeast's cannon beam.

"Prince Lotor!" Cossack's voice, sharper this time. "We are awaiting your command! Tell us what to do...!"

"Allura..." Was all Lotor had said, even when Cossack began to shake him, trying to rouse sense in him.

"Forget about her! Doom's victory is at hand!" Lotor had not responded, not giving a damn about giving Doom it's coveted victory. Cossack had quickly realized that, and with a sigh, let go of Lotor. The prince had then sagged in place, dropping to his knees. What would happen next was stuff he had only heard about, others recounting the moment when Cossack took command of the fleet.

"Pursue the lions!" Cossack had said, his voice so commanding no one dare argue with him. "Do not let them reach the castle. Order our ships on standby to resume attacking, they are to provide support for our robeast."

It had been with a sense of grimness on board the flag ship, that the commander's orders were repeated over the airwaves. Cossack had continued to command, hardly ever pausing for breath save to check on Lotor's condition. It hadn't changed, the prince had just sat there, Lotor lost to his own horror and grief. He kept wondering how things could have been different, wondering if red lion had been a little slower, or Allura's lion had been just a tad faster, if this tradgedy could have then been avoided.

"Green lion is already out of commission." Cossack's voice had been ripe with satisfaction, the Drule directing the star cutters towards the helpless lion. "It's weight is nothing but a burden to yellow lion. Someone knock them both out of the sky!"

Bombs had gone off, mini explosions as the missiles bombarded yellow and green lion. Green lion had dug it's claws into yellow lion's back, trying to hang on valiantly. It made no difference in the end, it's front paws being blown to smithereens, the lion slipping off it's partner, and falling to the forest below. Cossack had ordered the bombardment to continue, several ships circling around the downed green lion.

Yellow lion had roared out a challenge, seeking to defend his comrade. Black lion and red lion ended up trapped between half the Drule fleet, large war ships blocking the way to the castle. On the other side was the robeast, the creature attacking with it's ball and chain. The pilots of the three remaining lions would continue to fight, right up to the point their ships were all but destroyed.

Huge pock marks in the ground marked where each lion lay, the craters smoking. Such had been the devastation of the Drule's attacks that it was a small miracle the lions had been in a salvageable state. But the time to restore the lions to working order would come later, Cossack keeping plenty of ships on the grounded lions as he ordered the rest of the fleet to attack the castle.

It would take less than an hour after the fall of the lions for surrender to come from the castle, Allura's advisor pale faced and stoic, trying to hide his grief. It couldn't compare to the grief of the Drule prince, Lotor trapped in it, unable to function even long enough to claim victory in his name. Cossack had tried to rouse him, and gotten shoved for his efforts, the Commander sighing and ordering the flag ship and several others to land on the castle lawn.

That day it would be Cossack not Lotor who entered the castle of lions. By this point Lotor had blacked out entirely, completely unaware when someone led him off the command deck of the ship. He had been taken to his cabin, several soldiers left to watch over him. They would not survive the night, Lotor slipping into an unholy rage that left them defenseless against him.

Lotor would never know what kept him from turning his sword onto himself after he was done killing his guards. When Cossack and the others found him, he was laying on the floor, covered in blood, his sword clenched in his right hand. His eyes had been open, but he was sightless, lost to whatever visions were in his head.

He had to blink back tears, Lotor shaking his head, trying to shrug off the memories Allura's questions had brought him. Allura was staring at him, tears in her eyes, and he could only wish those tears were for him. He knew better, knew she was mourning the crushing defeat Doom had given her people, the girl unable to appreciate the torment Lotor had gone through the instant she had died.

A torment that would continue, Lotor knowing he had told her only part of the story. Clearing his throat, he reached for a glass, noting the maids had conveniently forgotten to give them wine. No doubt on orders from Cossack, the Drule fearing what would happen if Lotor took to drinking again. Lotor was almost amused by his concern, the king drinking from his glass as he waited for Allura to recover.

"What would happen next?" She asked, voice an urgent whisper.

"Next?" Lotor echoed, and she nodded.

"To...Coran and my people. To the pilots of the lions."

"Ah..." Uneasy, he finished off his water, Lotor not wanting to answer and knowing he must. The only way to get Allura to stop asking questions was to give her all the answers she longed for, no matter how painful the journey would be for them both.

To Be Continued! ^^;;

Michelle

Misty Gargoyle, yep! Married to Merla but it's not a happy marriage. ^^;; And yes, I've been inspired.....but for a different story now...too many to work on not enough me to go around! X_X

ZutarianNaid, thanks. Was just worrying in advance. ^^;;

Christine, the Dark Rose Maiden, ah thanks for liking it enough to reread! And now you're rewarded with a new chapter that's not up on my site yet! You've been sick for a while...hope it's cleared up by now. Poor Coba is right..*pets the blue kitty* This chapter and next hint at just how devastated and a mess Lotor became at Allura's apparent death. You can count on Merla not liking him reunited with his beloved princess. I've been planning she'll eventually track down her wayward husband and be pissed. Especially since he forgets all about her!


	6. Chapter 6

Their meal sat before them, virtually untouched for Lotor had been too busy talking, and Allura too focused on listening to him. Lotor shifted in his seat, wondering if his unease showed as he thought now on what he knew had happened to Allura's friends, the members of the Voltron Force.

"You have to understand..." Lotor began, his fingers playing against the rim of his glass. "A lot of this is second hand...told to me by others during my lucid moments."

"Lucid moments?" Allura look confused. "What do you mean?"

He smiled at her, but the expression lacked all humor, Lotor pushing aside his glass. "I wasn't well Allura." He explained, watching her eyes widen. "Call it shock, call it a depression, call it even sickness of the heart. But when you died....when I realized no trace of you remained, I...I reacted badly." He looked away, but not before seeing her frown.

"Reacted badly? What does that mean?" Her voice took on an urgent tone, Allura almost accusing in the next. "You didn't hurt anyone, did you?"

"Not on purpose..." Lotor said, though he knew that was a lie, his mind flashing back to the moment he had wrapped his hands around Haggar's scrawny neck.

"Not on purpose?" She repeated his words, drawing him form his private thoughts. "So you did hurt someone...who?"

"It wasn't any of your friends Allura. Of that I can assure you." He said dryly. "The time when the Voltron Force and I encountered each other, I was barely functioning. I dare say I wasn't even aware of just who they were, or where I was...."

His memories, feeble though they were, took him back to that moment on the flag ship, Cossack being brought to him. He could vaguely remember the commander's shock, the Drule looking around the blood strewn cabin. "Leave us." Cossack had ordered, and though the soldiers objected, they beat a fast enough retreat. Cossack had told Lotor about what happened next, the commander approaching his prince.

Cossack had knelt down besides Lotor's body, reaching for his sword. Lotor had made a noise, sounding like a feral animal as his fingers tightened on the blade's hilt. "Okay fine.." Cossack had said, not attempting to struggle with Lotor for the sword. "You don't want to give up your weapon right now. I can respect that."

Lotor had just stared, leaving Cossack to do all the talking. The commander had kept his voice quiet and light, trying not to upset the prince in any way. "I'm not going to ask what happened here. I can guess. It might even be partly my fault for leaving you access to your sword. But those were good men you killed, your highness. They didn't deserve to die, and not in that way."

Lotor wasn't sure if he was grateful or not for not remembering the way the bodies had been torn apart, lazon severing limbs, hacking off pieces of flesh. Cossack had told him he had kept attacking long after all three soldiers were dead, it was a wonder there was anything left to identify the men by.

No one would ever discover what had triggered the attack, or the attacks that would follow. Lotor certainly could not give them a clue, those time he had blacked out completely. What had felt like a momentary relief became a new horror to him, Lotor knowing he did terrible things to himself and to others when he had his episodes. He was fortunate he never turned his rage on the commander, Cossack helping him through the worst of it.

What's more, Cossack tried to cover for him, getting rid of the bodies, and lying point blank to Zarkon's questions. Lotor could remember being talked down from his grief time and time again by Cossack's gentle chiding, the commander helping Lotor to become lucid for longer periods of time.

But that was a while yet in his future, the questions Allura asked making him relive the moments inside the cabin. Cossack had tsked, rising to stand, toeing at one of the body's pieces. "I don't even what to know what that is." He had muttered with a shiver. He had turned to look at Lotor, and had frowned, noting how dirty the prince's hair had become.

"We have to get you cleaned up." Cossack had decided. But he hadn't dared call for serving girls, not sure what Lotor's reaction would be to the blonde haired wenches. Instead he coaxed the sword out of Lotor's hand with soft tones, Cossack tossing the blade to the far side of the room as he helped Lotor to his feet. Cossack would them half carry, half drag his prince to the bathroom, leaving Lotor to rest on the cool tile.

He had continued to talk to him as he removed Lotor's blood stained clothes, dumping cold water on the prince in the hopes the shock of it would snap him out of his damaged state of mind. Not even a shiver was given, Lotor had stared through Cossack, the older Drule sighing as he lugged the prince over to the bathtub. The blood had dried to ugly reddish brown crusts in Lotor's hair, it flaked off as Cossack rubbed shampoo into the prince's hair.

"The pilots of the lions survived the attacks." Cossack had murmured, surely hoping that news would inspire Lotor's interest. "No doubt they'll be executed for their crimes against the Doom Empire." He had chuckled then, but the sound had been forced, Cossack too worried about Lotor to feel any real humor at the situation. "No doubt you'll be wanting to personally put an end to the captain of the Voltron force."

Not even the thought of killing his long time rival had roused Lotor from his cationic like state, and that had made Cossack worry even more. "Think of the crowds that would draw! You against the captain, a fight to the death in the arena! Of course it would be a one sided brawl, that human is no match for you." Lotor hadn't even reacted to boast, leaving Cossack to fear nothing would ever be the same for the prince.

"Your father is on his way to Arus as we speak." Cossack had continued. "I know it's unusual for him, but he wants to see Doom's latest acquisition for himself. I think he's just eager to steal accolades from you...No doubt he'll be bragging it was his smarts that truly led us to victory against the lions." A snort then, Cossack rinsing off Lotor's body. "You can't let him do that sire. If anyone deserves the credit, it's you. You've put in more time and effort to winning this war than the King ever did sitting on his throne!"

"So please..." A hoarse whisper, Cossack struggling to pull Lotor out of the tub. "Don't wallow in self grief. It's unbecoming of a Drule such as yourself." Lotor had been told he never reacted even one time to any of Cossack's words, even when his friend grew angry, the commander back handing him across the face. Such an act was seen as treason to the Drule, and yet Cossack was willing to risk it if it meant returning Lotor to his former self.

"Snap out of it!" Cossack had growled, and still no reaction from Lotor. "Be a man and stop sniveling about some woman!" He had actually shook Lotor by his shoulders, snarling into his face. "She's only one girl. There's a million like her in this galaxy. Take one and stop blaming yourself for something that isn't your fault!"

Lotor often thought if he had been lucid, he would have struck out, friendship be damned. No one talked about Allura in that manner, not around him, not without deadly repercussions. But even that hadn't broken through his grief stricken state, Cossack sagging in place as he held on to Lotor.

He wasn't sharing these memories with Allura, Lotor instead thinking what happened after Cossack had dressed him. The commander and several soldiers had escorted Lotor off the ship, the prince blindly moving in the direction the Commander tugged him towards.

It was an unfortunate timing of fate that the pilots of the lions were currently being brought into the castle. The four boys had been in handcuffs, a loose length of chain stretched between each wrist. Their legs had yet to be shackled, the Drules not taking them seriously. They thought without the lions, the Voltron Force was useless, not a match for Drule strength in any shape or form.

Lotor of course hadn't been aware of their presence, hadn't even realized that Keith was so close. It made him ill prepared for what happened next, the captain of the Voltron force snarling at the sight of Lotor. "YOU!"

Cossack had ground to a halt, the soldiers behind him pausing when the commander did. Cossack had been looking at Lotor, hoping for a response of some kind when Keith broke away from his Drule captors. Before anyone could even think to stop him, he had covered the distance to Lotor, and socked him a hard punch with his clasped hands.

It had been a punch fueled with the captain's fury, enough strength to knock Lotor's face to the side. An audible gasp had been heard in the hall, followed up by the sound of weapons clicking into readiness. Cossack, ever shrewd, ever ready to find a way to get through to Lotor had held up his hand, a signal to the Drule soldiers to stand down.

They were confused, but did as asked, the Voltron Force just as stunned as their captors. Keith had barely noticed any of it, he was punching Lotor again, and then grabbing him by his tunic, spitting and screaming in the prince's face.

"It's all your fault!" Keith had screamed, eyes ablaze with grief and inhuman rage. "Allura is DEAD because of YOU!" Lotor had turned to look at the captain then, a trickle of blood leaking down the corner of his mouth.

"Allura?" Lotor had asked, voice deceptively calm. "Dead?"

"Because of you!" Keith had restated, and Cossack said Lotor had made a sound as frightening as the one aboard the command deck of the flag ship. It had even creeped out Keith, though the captain's anger lessened not one bit. With a scream that almost drowned out Lotor's moan, Keith slammed his fists into Lotor, his knee coming up to stab into the prince's stomach.

"Stand up and fight me coward!" Keith had growled, growing frustrated with a target that just stood there. Not that it stopped him from continuing the attack, the other members of the Voltron force cheering wildly, and shouting out taunts to the prince.

It didn't take long for the prince to topple backward, Cossack still keeping the soldiers from rushing to Lotor's aide. He had watched with almost impassive eyes, Keith riding Lotor's body down to the ground, never missing a beat in punching him. It was a one sided beating, Keith pummeling the Drule as best he could. It would last only seconds, and then Cossack himself was hauling Keith off him, the human red faced and panting.

"You disgust me!" Keith had spat in Lotor's direction, hardly satisfied with what he had done. Cossack had said Keith probably wouldn't have felt at peace even if he succeeded in killing Lotor.

"Check on the prince." Cossack had ordered, holding back his sighs. The soldiers had moved towards Lotor, cautious should the prince suddenly leap into life. But Lotor just lay there, not even whimpering in pain though one eye was already swelling shut. Two of the Drule lifted Lotor to his feet, ready to carry him off for medical attention. "Stop." Cossack had said, even though he had known Lotor needed to be checked out. "He comes with us."

"Useless bit of space trash!" sneered Keith, even as Cossack shoved him back towards his comrades. The soldiers were quick to grab Keith by the arms, making sure he could not run back to attack Lotor.

The Drule soldiers moved, taking Lotor deeper inside the castle. Cossack stood watching for a moment, his back to the Voltron force. Keith continued to mutter insults, bringing Allura's name into the whole sordid mess. "I can only thank God Allura isn't here to witness this moment! Or to bear the brunt of Lotor's depravity towards her!"

"Lotor loved your princess." Cossack had spoken to them then, voice calm and quiet.

"Love? ha!" Keith had scoffed then. "Lotor doesn't know the meaning of the word!"

"It is you who know nothing!" Cossack had whirled to face Keith, eyes narrowed as he glared. "What can a human know of a Drule's emotions. You have no idea the strength of our feelings, the depth of our emotions. Lotor loved Allura, more than any of you ever could!"

"He only lusted after her!" retorted Keith. "He would have tired of her eventually..."

"Hold you tongue, lest I remove it for you human!" Cossack had snarled, advancing on Keith. Keith had stared at him, eyes defiant. "Even now our prince grieves her."

"He's only grieving a missed opportunity to slake his lust!" That comment from Keith ended in a groan, Cossack slamming his fist into the captain's stomach. The wind had been knocked out of Keith, one blow from an angry Drule enough to bring the human to his knees. Cossack said he had been tempted to beat Keith the way he had attempted to do to Lotor, but he knew Zarkon would want the human in good health for the arena.

"Take them to the holding cells onboard the flag ship." Cossack had ordered, not trusting that the humans would know how to escape the castle's dungeons. He had then hurried into the castle, not taking the time to properly marvel at his surroundings. He had much to do, what with Lotor being out of commission for the foreseeable future. Everyone was reporting to the commander, not knowing what else to do with their prince in so delicate a state.

Cossack would soon go to the castle's control room, and it would be there in the heart of the command center that he would come across Coran. The woman Nanny, would be by his side, both humans on their knees, hands locked into manacles as Drule soldiers surrounded them. Other humans, various men and women who worked the controls of the command center were in similar positions, guarded closely by the Drule.

But Cossack had been all eyes for Coran, knowing with Allura gone, he was the closest thing to a leader the planet had. The man had been grieving, his face full of sorrow as the commander approached him. He didn't show his surprise at dealing with someone of lesser rank than Lotor, and it had left Cossack wondering if Coran had suspected just how deeply Lotor had loved the Arusian princess.

The woman wasn't as smart as the man, she began talking, her impertinent tone earning her a slap to the face. Cossack had ignored her completely, staring into Coran's face, even as the woman began to cry, gulping big tears that bordered on hysterical.

"My poor princess! She died because of your kind! Because you wouldn't leave us alone!" Nanny had then turned to look at Coran, sobbing even harder. "We always knew it was too risky to let her fly in the lions. Oh why didn't we push harder to keep her on the ground?"

Coran had said nothing, just staring back at Cossack. Nanny had grown bothered by the lack of response, glaring at Cossack. "Why didn't your prince try to protect her? If he loved her like he said he did..."

"Coran...I am commander Cossack. We shall be dealing with each other for the foreseeable future." Cossack refused to dignify Nanny's words with a response, focusing all his attention on the advisor.

"Commander..." Coran had sounded tired then, shoulders sagging. "I only ask that you would treat our people with some modicum of kindness."

"I think that depends on how willing you are to help us." Cossack had answered.

"Help you? Don't be ridiculous!" Nanny had scoffed. "As if we'd ever help you Drule!"

"Gag the wench." Cossack had ordered coldly, and Nanny continued to scream even once a dirty rag was stuffed in her mouth.

"Commander, I don't see how I can be of any help to you. The lions have fallen, and with them have the hopes of the planet. Our princess is dead..." He had fallen silent then, as though Coran had been struggling not to start crying.

"Yes...Princess Allura is dead." Cossack had agreed. "It puts you in a dangerous position. You have no one to reason with Lotor, no one to be Arus and it's people's staunch worth defender."

"Then it is hopeless..." Coran had sighed, looking downwards.

"Not completely." Cossack had told him. "If you tell us what we want to know..."

"Know?"

"We have many questions about the technology that made Voltron. The lions can still be of use to us. They are damaged, but not destroyed. If we can repair them...." Coran had cut him off with a curt protest.

"You cannot!"

"Come now Coran!" Cossack had smirked at him, but his eyes had been cold. "I've seen the lions recover from worse than what they suffered this day. You have the knowledge, you just have to share it with us..."

"And put the whole galaxy at risk?" Coran had been aghast in the moment. "Never."

"Never is a long time slave." Cossack had retorted. "And I doubt you have the strength and fortitude to last very long against our most experienced torturers."

"I may surprise you." Coran had been defiant in that moment, earning a bit of Cossack's respect.

"Yes, you may." Cossack had nodded. "But if you won't give in for your sake, we'll soon see how you feel about the suffering of others." A wave of his arm, Cossack gesturing for the captured humans to be taken away. "Toss them in the ship's holding cells. We'll let Coran and his...friends stew on what will happen if he doesn't talk."

"You're a monster." Coran had gritted out before being dragged out of the room. "As every bit as horrible as Lotor and Zarkon!"

"Why thank you." Cossack had replied, taken aback by what he saw as a great compliment. He had then walked over to one of the chairs in the command center, taking up position before a computer. It would be from the castle's own command center that Cossack would call to keep the king informed about the situation on Arus..

"My father was too busy gloating to even wonder about why it wasn't I who made the calls." Lotor said with a sigh. "No doubt he made his own assumptions about what I

was doing before he learned about the fate of blue lion."

Allura said nothing to that, just trembled as silent tears dripped down her face. The tears pained him, as did the knowledge that she would do more crying before his story was over and done with. "Allura..." Lotor picked up a cloth napkin, and leaned forward to tenderly wipe her face clean. It made no difference, more tears were pouring out of her eyes. "Do not be so sad....All this happened a long time ago..."

"It's my fault it happened at all!" Allura sobbed. "If I had lived...if I hadn't been tossed through time..."

"You can't know that." Lotor replied. "Doom might have had it's victory that day, even if you had been present."

"But...I could have lessened the pain my people would go through..." Lotor paused to just cup her face in his hands, Allura not fighting his hold. "I...I would have given myself to you, if it meant sparing even one person from a horrid future."

"Shh...shhh..." Lotor made soothing sounds, even as he grew excited at the thought of Allura handing herself over to him. "I wish I could tell you otherwise, that the people of Arus did not suffer....but..."

"But they did..." Allura lowered her eyes, lashes wet with tears. Lotor wanted to lick away her upset, to taste her sadness on his tongue. But he held off doing anything more than stroking her cheeks, just enjoying the realness of her skin. "What ultimately became of Coran and Nanny?"

"Ultimately?" Lotor frowned. "Coran was tortured. For days on ends." Allura gasped at that, and jerked her hands free of his grip. "I'm sorry....but my father, my people would not be denied the information he had."

"Coran would never tell the Drule about the lions!" Allura protested, and Lotor sighed.

"They may have been the case once but..." An inelegant shrug of his shoulders, Lotor almost apologetic as he talked. "Coran broke easily enough. It was a combination of his own grief over losing you, and the horror of seeing innocents tortured and killed for his silence. It wasn't long before he was telling us everything, about the lions, about their origins, about the lairs, about how to repair the damages done, and even what little he knew about piloting them. Coran was a fount of information, and he was kept alive for that very reason."

Allura was brushing at her face with the back of her hand, trying to keep a fresh wave of tears at bay. "Does he still live?"

"Who knows..." Lotor shrugged. "After the first two years, when it became apparent he had told all he knew about the lion technology, my father had him shipped off to Doom. Presumedly to work in the mines until he died. We've never kept track or meticulous records of our slaves. There's simply too many of them."

"How horrible..." Allura whispered, and Lotor found himself nodding in agreement. 'And what about Keith and the others? Did they go to Doom as well? Did they die in the arena like Cossack had eluded to?"

"They weren't quick to die." Lotor answered. "You'd almost be proud of them..."

"I AM proud of them." Allura retorted, sounding a bit angry in the moment. "And I want to know...need to know about their final moments..." He went silent at that, it caused Allura to grow urgent, the girl nerving herself to touch his arm of her own violation. "Please Lotor....tell me what you know..."

"All right Allura..." he sighed, even as he reveled in the touch she had freely given him. "I'll tell you...though I wasn't present for the spectacle first hand." He didn't know if those words comforted her or not, Allura just nodding grimly. He was left with his own uncertainties, Lotor wondering if everything he was telling her was just making her hate him.

"Your friends, they didn't die the day after Arus fell to Doom. Nor did they die the next day, or even the next week. it would take time to arrange things, time for my father to travel to and from Doom. You see Allura..." Lotor sighed. "He wanted to be present for the moment the Voltron force was killed. He wanted to revel in their deaths, to celebrate with his people."

"So when did it happen?" Allura asked, hugging her arms around her as she shivered at his words.

"A little over a month later." Lotor answered. "The mood in the stadium was anticipatory, Zarkon dressed in his finest robes, drinking the best wines as he sat in his box. He surrounded himself with Arusian slave girls, wanting them to bear witness to their heroes' deaths." Lotor kept quiet how the final moments of the Voltron Force had been recorded, broadcast to all of the galaxy to show what happen to those who opposed Doom.

"Pidge would be the first one called to face off against opponents in the arena." continued Lotor. "My father was counting on the runt to be the most disappointing of fighters. He wasn't that far off in his assumptions, it didn't take much for the alien gladiators to squash the little guy."

"Pidge.." Allura sniffled, but was otherwise quiet.

"I won't go into details of their deaths." Lotor said. "You should be spared that gruesome a memory of your friends." He didn't get even a hint of gratitude for that, Allura too miserable with all that he had told her. "Lance was the next to fight. He managed to defeat two of his opponents before being killed. And Hunk? That man was surprisingly quick for his size, avoiding many blows, and using his strength to defeat six of my father's gladiators."

"Gladiators....you mean the aliens that would become robeasts?" Allura asked, once she had composed herself. But her eyes were still red and puffy, the occasional sob escaping her.

"Yes...though by that time we didn't really...that is..." Another flash of him choking Haggar, amidst the shouts of the men around him. "We no longer had the means to turn those aliens into monsters...."

"You can no longer make robeasts?" Allura was amazed. "How did that happen?"

"Keith was the last to enter the arena pit." Lotor said, choosing to ignore her questions. She gasped out the captain's name with enough emotion to stir jealousy in Lotor's heart for the dead man. "He went up against ten gladiators..." He could see Allura was already preparing herself for the idea of his death, Lotor hesitating to tell her what happened next. "They all died."

"Keith..." She started to say, and then shook her head, eyes wide. "Wait...did you say THEY?" Lotor nodded, and Allura gasped, amazed. "But how?"

"It was astonishing even to us Drules." Lotor admitted. "But even more to my father, who was beyond impressed. We had never had a human that could last against so many in the arena, although a well trained Drule such as I could manage such a feat." He wasn't boasting, just stating a fact. "My father decided to spare Keith's life..."

"Spare his life?" Allura seemed dull with shock, as if she didn't dare believe what Lotor was saying.

"In a way." Lotor conceded. "He made your captain the arena star." He kept quiet about how badly they were in need of one, with Lotor out of commission. "Keith would retain his champion status for the next three years, killing to survive. He was a different man from the boy you knew, changed, and not just by the scars on his body. He became a ruthless fighter, and I've no doubt if we had retain the secrets to making robeasts, Keith would have become one."

"Keith...." Allura seemed to moan, weeping fresh tears. "How did he finally die?"

"In the arena, sooner or later there is always a bigger, badder, stronger opponent." Lotor answered. "Even your captain couldn't avoid that fate. He...he was.." He was hesitating, seeing how badly Allura was trembling. She wasn't even looking at him, hunched over, arms cross her chest as she moaned and sobbed. He knew then he couldn't tell her anymore about the captain's final moments, Lotor abandoning the tale to reach over and wrap Allura up in his embrace.

To Be Continued!

Michelle

Christine, the Dark Rose Maiden, thanks! Glad you thought that. I hope you enjoy this one as well. I've been imagining at some point Cossack will be the one to tell Allura just how much Lotor suffered while she was gone. Since our loveable prince er...I mean King, is holding back on that part of the story. The dope! Heh...Allura blocking the bathroom door...I think I'd do the same if I was as nervous as her about being naked around Lotor! XD

Misty Gargoyle, thanks so much! So happy to hear you enjoyed the chapter. And this one answers what happened to the Voltron force.


	7. Chapter 7

She felt like she had been suckered punched in the gut, her grief hitting her hard and fast, making Allura gag on her very breath. She knew she was the picture of utter misery, tears streaming down her face, flowing faster than she thought possible. She shook as she sobbed, trembling as she wrapped her arms around her, Allura hugging herself for comfort.

It wasn't enough, she needed the touch of another, and right now it seemed it didn't matter who. Just as long as that touch was soothing, she'd accept solace from even her enemy, the enemy of her people. She let out a choked sound when Lotor wrapped his arms around her, the Drule seeming to sense what she needed. She sagged in his embrace, Allura leaning into him, burying her face against his shirt.

Lotor adjust his grip on her, a hand being lifted to stroke through her hair. He was making sounds, soft soothing ones, speaking nonsense words meant to offer her comfort. She tried to take it from him, letting him rock her back and forth in his embrace, Allura crying harder. Not even when she sniffled, and said Keith's name, did the Drule stop trying to comfort her, the man far more patient and kind than she had ever imagined.

It was a weak thought that, Allura stiffening in his arms, not liking the thought of thinking nice things about the enemy of her people. It didn't matter that twenty years had gone by, that her people were no longer hers to rule. She still thought of Lotor as the enemy, and knew she should be horrified and disgusted by all he had told her. Even if he hadn't been the one to do it, Allura wondering just how true the story of his breakdown had been.

Not that Lotor was very forthcoming with the details of that particular part of the story, the Drule leaving it off that he had been unwell and not present for the events that followed Arus' fall. At best she had been told that Lotor had not been very lucid, and Allura filed that away for future study. For now she had her grief to deal with, Allura starting to struggle in Lotor's arms.

Of course the Drule had noticed when she stiffened, though he chose not to relax his hold on her. She felt a thrill of fear go through her at his insistence to hold on to her, Allura struggling harder, jerking herself back so violently she fell off her chair. Lotor immediately moved to help her stand, but she shied away from the offered hand, her voice coming out a tad too panicked.

"I'm all right!" She said, grabbing onto the chair's side, and pulling herself up right. "I'm fine."

"No, you are not." Lotor said, rising when it became apparent she was not going to retake her seat. "You've had a lot of shocks in a short amount of time. You're grieving too many deaths, trying to cope with the reality I've presented to you."

It had been too much for her, Allura grudgingly admitted to herself. Too much and too soon, too many bad things happening to the people she had loved like family. It was a reminder to her that nothing good ever came of the Drule, Allura holding back her sniffles as she glared in Looter's direction.

"You're angry." He noted, cocking his head to the side. She nodded, and he sighed. "Angry at me?" Another nod of her head, Lotor looking troubled to see it. "Why? I had nothing to do with the treatment of your friends. They would be dead long before I..."

"Before you what?" Allura interrupted him, hands gripping the chair's back so tight, her knuckles bled of all color. "Before you could hope to continue their tortures?" He did a slow blinking of his eyes, Lotor using that time to slip an indifferent mask onto his face. She thought she knew he was trying to hide the guilty admission from her, Allura growing angry.

That was good, angry kept her from crying, kept her from breaking down completely. "Admit it Lotor." She sneered, giving a haughty toss of her head. "You would have reveled in their murders. You would have enjoyed wringing out every bit of misery you could, before ending their lives!"

"I may very well have." He threw her with his agreement, Allura gaping at him with her jaw dropped down. "I was a different man back then, a more...cold blooded, ruthless being."

"Are you saying you're not now?" Allura demanded, and Lotor hesitated.

"There's much that has changed. Including me." She scoffed at that, giving him a slow once over from head to toe, and back again. "It's true." Lotor insisted, and took a step towards her.

"Don't!" Allura cried out, dragging the chair with her as she back away from him. He sighed and lifted a hand to his hair, rustling it and the crown a top his head.

"Loss makes everyone change..." Lotor said at last. "For better or for worse. It's up to my subjects which one I became."

"That means what?" She asked, cautious for any sudden moves from him.

"You have to realize, if I became a better man in your eyes, that wasn't necessarily a good thing to the Drule." Lotor explained. "They have expectations of me...things they would demand a true Drule King do."

"And you do those things, don't you?" Allura demanded, and Lotor shook his head no.

"I do what I deem is right for me." That seemed all he would say on that manner, Lotor trying to inch closer to her. Her breath hissed out sharply, Allura clutching the chair to her like a shield.

"You always do..." Allura couldn't help the bitter tone in her voice, continuing to back up until she hit a solid object. She didn't take her eyes off Lotor to see what she had

bumped her back against, too wary of him lunging the final distance to her. "You never acted like a true prince. You were always about getting what you wanted, people and their feelings be damned!"

"Yes." Lotor nodded, surprising her with his agreement. "That was very much how I was..."

"Are." She tried to correct him. "How you are!"

"I can see you're prepared to argue the point all day, but I'd rather think about something else." Lotor told her.

"Like what?" Allura asked.

"Well...the fact that you're alive..." His mask slipped, his eyes taking on a dreamy expression. It left her uneasy, and all the more so when he hardened his expression, trying to act as if he hadn't been making love sick eyes at her. "You're here...you're real. I can touch you..." She didn't want to be reminded of that fact, Allura's skin breaking out into goose bumps.

He noticed her distressed expression, Lotor stepping hurriedly towards her. "Allura...I don't mean to upset you...but...it's been so long..."

"Stay back!" She warned, wishing the chair wasn't so heavy. She'd swing it like a weapon if she could, anything to block off Lotor's approach.

"Allura..." He snatched the chair out of her grip, and with the effortless strength of his race, tossed it behind him. She gasped, and suddenly Lotor was pressing against her, right hand raised towards her face. She braced herself for his touch, trying to keep a hold of her anger and defiance, even though all she felt like doing in the moment was breaking down and crying.

"It's been too long..." He sighed then, his fingers touching her lips so carefully, as though he feared he could break her with the slightest of touches. "I never dared dreamed I'd get to see you again. To talk to you, to touch you.."

"You have no right..." Allura began, Lotor crooking his head to the side. "To any of it!"

"Maybe you're right..." He abruptly pulled away, though she noted he brought the hand that had touched her to his mouth. He seemed to shiver as he caressed his fingertips over his lips, Lotor closing his eyes for one brief moment.

He opened them when she tried to shift past him, his golden gaze rooting her to the spot with a gasp. "I always felt I played a small part in your death. If I had convinced you to marry me, you'd never have needed to fight. If I could have made peace between our worlds...or if I would have talked Haggar out of equipping that robeast with such a deadly weapon..."

He had lowered his hand, but never did he take his eyes off of Allura. "I doubt she would have listened. But at least I could have rest easy knowing I tried to stop her!" Such raw emotion in his voice then, Allura realizing he had lived with this guilt for a long time. It didn't begin to make up for the death of her friends, or the suffering of her people.

"Allura..."

"Lotor.." She interrupted him, not wanting to hear any more about the guilt he had felt. "What about my people...? What was their fate?"

"Their fate...?" He echoed with a frown. "I'm sure you can guess..."

"I believe I can." Allura agreed. "But I want to hear it from you. What was it like, those early days. How many died fighting the Drule?"

"At least several thousand died." Lotor shrugged his shoulders. "I can get the actual statistics if you like, but it would only serve to add on to your grief."

"Several thousand?" She exclaimed, ignoring the rest of what Lotor had said.

"Yes. Not all of the Arusians accepted Coran's surrender. They tried to fight, but...what good is a farmer's scythe against lasers and warships?" Allura tried not to picture it, shuddering as she realized how easily the Drule would have cut down the people who tried to fight against them. "Those were the brave ones, many of your people fled to the caves, hoping to hide and avoid their fate."

"But they didn't, did they?" Allura asked, voice a soft whisper.

"No. My father wasn't content to let a single Arusian escape this time around." He stepped away from her, Allura relaxing just a notch. "He sent our soldiers to search for them, and set fires to smoke them out." Lotor grimaced then. "I suppose it won't surprise you to know there was many that chose to burn to death, to choke on the flame's smoke rather than be captured and made a slave of. Oh...oh...you're crying again." A concerned Lotor said.

"Please...go on..." Allura insisted, ignoring her tears for the most part. "What happened next?'

He stared at her a long minute, enough time to make Allura think he wasn't going to answer. "What always happens when Doom captures a planet's people? They were made slaves, stripped of their rights, their very dignity. Many were shipped off of Arus, sent to Doom, or to other worlds, sent to toil under the whips of the slave keepers. Those that were fortunate to remain on their home world had little to be thankful for, the work as back breaking here on Arus as it was elsewhere."

"There was much to do, you see..." Lotor continued. "Arus needed a total rehaul, cities rebuilt from scratch. My father didn't want Arus to remain a pathetic farm planet, he wanted it to be a Mecca of advanced civilization. He wanted it to be worthy to be part of the Doom Empire."

She continued to say nothing, just staring at Lotor with an unreadable expression on her face. Her silence seemed to unnerve him, Lotor speaking more and more without her prodding.

"We also had many worlds to recapture. Voltron cost us a lot of territory in the years before the lion's defeat. My father set about to ensuring that those planets were returned to us. Doom began to flourish once more, gold and slaves a steady product that kept the empire running at maximum efficiency."

"Did Galaxy Garrison not try to stop you?" She asked, and Lotor shook his head no.

"They had their hands full. I'm not sure you're familiar with the Drule Empire. Emperor Hazar was at the same time expanding the Drule influence across the Milkyway Galaxy. Between that and Doom's press on the Denubian Galaxy, Garrison was torn in half trying to hold off both threats. They proved easy enough to crush..."

"So there's no one." Allura whispered, sagging in place, a hand to her forehead. "No one to stop the Drule..."

"No, there isn't." Confirmed Lotor, and she began crying harder. "Oh no...Allura...don't be sad...it's not as bad as you think..."

"Not as bad!" She exclaimed, tone sarcastic. "Please, tell me how it could possibly worse?"

"The Denubian Galaxy is thriving under the rulership of Doom." Lotor said in reply, He reached out to catch her hands, holding them prisoner in his larger grasp. "There's very little turmoil on the planets, and slavery is down nearly forty-five percent. More and more people go free..."

"As if Zarkon would ever allow that!" Allura scoffed.

"He has no choice." Lotor stood up, looking proud in the moment. "I am King now."

She stared at him a long moment, and then was skeptically speaking. "So Zarkon is dead then?"

"Er...no." She was disappointed even as a a seed of revenge was planted in her. If Zarkon lived, there was a chance to avenge her fallen comrades, to set her friend and her people's souls at ease. "Get that look of your face right this instant Allura. He may be old and senile, but is he still not one to be trifled with."

"Senile?" Allura blinked rapidly, trying to play off that she hadn't just been planning to do something horrible to Zarkon. "You mean to tell me the great king Zarkon was brought low by old age?"

"Happens to the best of us, doesn't it?" Lotor grinned. "Most of the time he isn't even coherent, muttering random things, or thinking he's living his glory days on the throne. He'd still retain his crown if the court hadn't decided to force him to step down from power. It was for the best you see..." Lotor added at her doubtful look. "He was liable to start a nuclear war on any one of a dozen planets, all due to misplaced memories."

She shivered at that thought, glad the tyrant was in no position to do any world any more lasting harm. "And they made you king?" Allura asked out loud.

"Yes."

"Even though you were...heartbroken by my death?" Her question was full of her skepticism.

"I was...recovered enough to rule by that point." Lotor said, without batting an eye.

"Right..." She eyed him, letting him see how much she didn't believe him. He sighed in response letting go of her hands.

"It was...difficult, those early years of your death. Sometimes I still don't think I'm completely recovered." Lotor admitted. "The grief hits me sometimes, unexpectedly. It's not as crippling as it once was, but I still find it difficult to concentrate during that time."

"How do you ever function to rule then?" Allura wondered out loud.

"I have good friends..."

"Like the general?" Allura asked, and he nodded.

"Yes. Cossack's support is invaluable to me." He seem to be hesitating, and she almost reached out to touch him. Almost, but not quite, Allura instead asking him to voice his unspoken thoughts. "There's a few others among my inner circle...there's..." Another hesitation, Lotor shaking his head. "It doesn't matter."

She was left wondering if he fell quiet because he didn't trust her with the information, Allura frowning slightly. "And what were you doing on Arus?" Allura asked. "Surely technology hasn't advanced to the point where one can travel from Doom to Arus in just a few days!"

"It hasn't." Agreed Lotor.

"Then how did you get here so soon?" She demanded.

"I.." Another one of those paused that seemed to hint at him hiding something from her. "I happened to be on Arus at the time." Her eyes widened at that, Allura surprised.

"Is it normal for the King of the Doom Empire to come visit Arus?"

"I was taking a vacation from my duties. Not many would think to look for me here. Not..." A poignant look from him to her, pain flashing in his eyes. "Not with the bad memories Arus holds for me."

"So you're hiding from someone? Who?" She wanted to know.

He rewarded her with a smile, but didn't answer her in the manner she wanted. "Just someone of my court. They matter not in the long run."

"They matter enough for you to hide from them." She pointed out, and his smile turned into a frown.

"So they do." He agreed, and that was all he would say about that. "Come Allura. You must be hungry...our meal may have gotten cold, but there is still desert..."

Her stomach practically growled at the thought of desert, but Allura shook her head. "I don't think it's right." He looked confused, and she sighed. "To eat such a lavish meal when surely my people go hungry. And not just them, but all the slaves of the Doom Empire!"

"That's where you're wrong!" Lotor exclaimed. "Allura, no slave goes hungry in my Empire. I made sure to make changes to the way Doom does things. The very nature of slave labor has been reformed. They work an honest day's hours, and earn the proper food and medical attention." She knew she was staring, mouth hanging open in shock. Lotor actually reached over to touch her chin, gently pushing her mouth close. "If you like, I can bring up a list of the changes I have made. I'm sure you'll pleased..."

"Why...why would you do that?" Allura asked, unable to shake her shock. He shrugged, then was walking towards the table, reaching to uncover the plate with desert.

"I suppose..." His tone was thoughtful, Lotor staring at the frosting covered cake. "I wanted to do something that would honor your memory, something that you would approve of. Something you might even be proud of me for..."

She dully walked over to the table, sitting down in a spare chair. Lotor glanced up at her, seeming flustered to meet her gaze. He quickly looked away, and began cutting into the cake, Allura staring at him all the while. She was barely aware of lifting up her fork, of slicing off a piece of the creamy chocolate treat. All she could think about was the things Lotor had said, especially the latest. If it was true, it was the most gallant an act Lotor could have ever performed for her short of freeing all the slaves completely. She fought not to soften her heart towards him, telling herself it was surely a trick on his part. She tried to tell herself this would change nothing between them, but Allura feared she would be proven wrong.

I don't like this chapter anywhere as much as I liked the last two. And I couldn't find a good ending line. _

To Be Continued...

Michelle

Christine, the Dark Rose Maiden, thank you so much! That and the chapter before it were a pleasure to write. I'm glad I got the emotions across well too! Oh you know it, in regards to Keith only being able to get the beat down on Lotor due to his grief. It was kinda a low blow to attack him when he was grieving. I've heard that song, though it's been a long while. I should look it up again, to get the lyrics for it.

Misty Gargoyle, thank you! Yep, harsh fate for enemies of the Doom Empire! But we wouldn't expect anything else!


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